What controversial penalty will happen this year?

By Nathan Jackson
January 17 2008

Lincoln City make their annual trip to Macclesfield Town awaiting the referee to give Silkmen the annual controversial penalty that seems to give them something from a game in which they were awful. Macclesfield's last 3 goals against City at Moss Rose have all come from the penalty spot and each having a portion of controversy about them, including a penalty given for a handball outside the area.

Last season City headed to Moss Rose and New Years Day and were behind on 5 minutes when Macclesfield were awarded a controversial penalty. The ball came across the field and Shane Nicholson handballed it about 4 yards outside the box, inexplicably the officals gave a penalty despite it being no-where near being inside the box.

This was followed in the same game by a decision that looks fair on the cameras, but when you're actually there and can see from the right angle that their attacker is fouling our defender more than he's fouling the attacker, it makes it a highly controversial decision. Just 10 months earlier and Clive Wijnhard blantently dived inside the area to convince Jarnail Singh that Macc deserved a penalty.

Anyway, enough of that rant and this is a fixture between two out of form teams. Macclesfield have won just 1 of the last 10 whereas the Imps have won just once in the last 6 outings. City's form at Macclesfield isn't great and you'd have to go back to boxing day in 2002 for City's last win there, a Peter Gain strike sealing a win. In the 5 meetings since then there have been 3 draws and 2 wins for Macclesfield (both by a 2-1 scoreline).

City go into the game with Frecklignton out injured but he is the only major absentee for the Imps, although Shane Clarke starts a 3 match suspension for a straight red card against Rotherham.

Marriott will more than likely be in goal with Ridley, Beevers, Brown and Paul Green in the defence. Emanuel Lewis could feature if he surprisingly joins, although that is increasingly unlikely. In midfield you'll probably see Kerr, Dodds and Forrester in midfield, being joined by Adam Smith who replaces the injured Freck. Wright and John-Lewis will more than likely start up front.

Those hoping to see former Imps Francis Green and Martin Gritton in action will be disappointed as both have missed the last few games through injury. Luke Dimech also used to be with the Imps at the youth level. In the summer Gritton became yet another part of Macclesfield's annual raid of Sincil Bank, making it 4 summers in a row that a City player has left Sincil Bank to go to Moss Rose, following on from Mark Bailey, Kevin Sandwith and Marvin Robinson.

Macc's form isn't great despite a win at Peterborough last week. Their last home victory was against Brentford on November 6th, since then they've lost 3 of their 5 home games since then. Macc have slowly been falling down the table as the season progressed and look set for their 8th season (out of 10 in the Football League) fighting relegation.