MACCLESFIELD, England — The used car dealer and the captain who markets scented candles have reached the conclusion of their journey after Macclesfield’s remarkable FA Cup adventure was halted by an own goal from a PE teacher against Premier League side Brentford.
Sam Heathcote’s unfortunate (and acrobatic) header from Aaron Hickey’s cross in the 70th minute, which deflected past goalkeeper Max Dearnley at his near post, secured a 1-0 victory for Brentford in the fourth round, setting them up to face London rivals West Ham in the next round.
FA Cup magic? Not this time.
After achieving the largest-ever FA Cup upset by defeating reigning champions Crystal Palace with a 2-1 victory at their modest Moss Rose ground in the third round, Macclesfield faced a harsh reality in what was the most significant match in their history. However, while Brentford was anticipated to take note of Palace’s defeat and efficiently overcome Macclesfield’s squad of former professionals and part-timers with regular jobs, the match turned out to be quite different for Keith Andrews’ team.
Just four days prior, Brentford halted Arsenal’s Premier League title pursuit with a 1-1 draw at the Gtech Stadium, a match that could have ended in a home victory. Yet, after making seven alterations to his starting lineup for this fixture — with top scorer Igor Thiago and England midfielder Jordan Henderson not even traveling with the team — Andrews witnessed his Brentford side struggle to perform like a team that began the day 116 places above sixth-tier Macclesfield in the English football hierarchy.
Macclesfield performed admirably — far better than one might expect from a team of their low ranking — demonstrating that the result against Palace was no mere coincidence. During the match, Andrews entered the home team’s dressing room to commend the side his players had just defeated.
“It was a challenging game for us, for obvious reasons,” Andrews stated. “I have a great deal of respect for the way they [Macclesfield] play and the determination they exhibit. Their ability to perform at the level they have in two matches against us and Palace is a testament to Macclesfield, their players, and [manager] John Rooney. I expressed my respect for their accomplishments.”
“I appreciate the English football pyramid and the narratives it creates. Macclesfield provided us with a genuine cup tie: I can’t say I enjoyed it, but I’m sure everyone else did.”
Competing against Macclesfield was a thankless endeavor for Brentford. A victory would meet the minimal expectations, but there was always the looming possibility of defeat and the same fate as Palace. For Premier League players to share their warm-up area with Macclesfield’s under-11s, who engaged in a small-sided game on the artificial surface alongside Andrews’s top-flight stars, would have been an unusual experience, as was the sight of Tubs the Duck, Macclesfield’s oversized yellow mascot, bouncing around simultaneously.
However, it encapsulated Macclesfield as the community club they represent. The pitch may serve as the venue for the first team’s matches, but on many weeknights, it is filled with children from the local area, all dreaming of one day playing on it for real.
It’s not just the Macclesfield youth who pursue the dream. The first-team players share the same aspirations.
Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and D’Mani Mellor both made first-team appearances for Manchester United before moving down the leagues, while captain Paul Dawson sells candles after previously working on the roads. Goalkeeper Max Dearnley sells cars, and Heathcote, whose own goal determined the outcome of this match, will return to his teaching job on Tuesday morning.
All of them possess the talent to compete against top-level players, but some have encountered misfortune on their football journeys, while others have not capitalized on their opportunities. Ultimately, they remain skilled footballers, and for over an hour of Monday’s match in frigid conditions, they outperformed their opponents. Brentford did not resemble a team from five divisions higher in the football hierarchy.
Macclesfield had their opportunities, primarily limited to long-range shots, but they did enough to cause concern for Brentford, whose only strategy was to deliver long balls and crosses into the penalty area, which the home side dealt with effectively until Heathcote inadvertently redirected Hickey’s cross into his own net. However, that is often how it unfolds when David faces Goliath — Goliath typically prevails, and not necessarily with elegance or flair.
“For a club at our level to compete with two Premier League teams is remarkable,” manager Rooney remarked. “We only lost due to an own goal in the end, so I am extremely proud of the players tonight.”
“The players are understandably disappointed, but they are a good, honest, hard-working group, and they have only lost a football match. They have made everyone proud.”
A second upset always seemed an unrealistic dream, but Macclesfield has had their moment, and they will always remember it. Their place in FA Cup history is assured.
