On Saturday Boreham Wood make their first ever trip to Moss Rose to take on the Silkmen as they attempt to improve on a run of one win in seven National League fixtures.

Manager Ian Allinson will be plotting another famous away win to put alongside the three-point hauls secured at Tranmere Rovers and Torquay United in a season where survival is the key goal for Wood.

So, who are Macclesfield Town?

Primarily a top class non-league outfit, the team from Cheshire dabbled in the Football League recently, given their existence dates back to 1874.

At the end of the 1996/97 season they went full-time after winning promotion to the Football League, under the then manager Sammy McIlroy.

He steered them to a second-placed finish at the first time of asking and amazingly Town were promoted to what is now known as League One in 1998.

Their time in the third tier lasted just one season but it coincided with the only season Manchester City have spent in the division in their entire history. That meant Macclesfield played in front of over 41,000 fans in a league match in what was one of the most unlikely of local derbies thrown up in English football history.

Their tenure in basement division of the Football League lasted until the end of the 2011/12 season, when they found themselves back in the top flight of non-league football by finishing 24th in League Two.

During the 2012/13 season they reconciled to finish in 11th, but more famously thrilled the English footballing public by beating Championship side Cardiff City 3-1 to reach the FA Cup fourth round for the first time in their history.

In 2013 they turned to their greatest hero, John Askey, to steer the club in the right direction.

A former striker, Askey is a one-club man having played 509 times and scored 109 goals for the Silkmen until 2003 in a career that spanned 19 years. After retiring he took over as manager for a season until the arrival of former England and Manchester United midfielder Paul Ince.

He dropped down to manage the youth team upon Ince’s arrival before being called upon again in 2013.

Last season The Silkmen flirted with the idea of promotion once more but ended their campaign just a point and a place behind Forest Green Rovers, who occupied the final play-off spot.

Wood boss Allinson vowed after the narrow home defeat to Altrincham last Saturday to get in some shooting practice ahead of their Saturday’s trip to Cheshire and Wood’s forwards will need to be on the money to get past Macc goalkeeper Shwan Jalal.

An Iranian international, who Wood fans may remember from his time with Woking and the two legged FA Trophy semi-final against the Cards, he has since spent six season with Bournemouth and featured in their rise up through the divisions before stops at Bury and Northampton Town.

In the heart of defence will be George Pilkington, whose career started 13 years ago. He featured over 250 times for Port Vale and spent four seasons at Luton Town en route to Moss Rose.

Up front Kristian Dennis will be the one to keep an eye on for the Wood defence.

He is a homegrown talent who came through the youth ranks at Macclesfield before making a name for himself in the lower leagues, hitting the net 72 times in just two seasons for Curzon Ashton. To date Dennis has contributed nine of Macclesfield's 18 goals this season.

The Silkmen are currently 16th in the table, with three wins and three losses this month. The three victories were impressive, though, beating Woking 2-1 at home before destroying the previously unbeaten Forest Green Rovers 4-1 and overcoming Aldershot Town 3-0.