MOSS ROSE was the setting for Dagenham & Redbridge s finest away performance of the season last year as they found themselves 3-0 up after 19 minutes, before going on to record a 4-0 victory.

by MIKE SIMMONDS

MOSS ROSE was the setting for Dagenham & Redbridge's finest away performance of the season last year as they found themselves 3-0 up after 19 minutes, before going on to record a 4-0 victory.

The Silkmen managed to gain enough points to avoid relegation in the end, as manager Keith Alexander ensured they would be playing league football once more this campaign.

Clearly wanting to improve this term, the boss released a number of players in the summer, while signing no few than 12 new members of his squad.

Algerian defender Hamzer Bencherif has been one of the finds so far, after joining from Nottingham Forest, and he has already grabbed four goals this season, including a double in the 2-1 win over Torquay.

Former Oldham striker Matthew Tipton was also snapped up on a free transfer and the former Moss Rose favourite, who had scored 50 goals in under 150 appearances in his previous spell, has already notched three goals this time round.

Another forward who was brought to the club was ex-Lincoln man Ben Wright, but although he was often amongst the goals for the Imps, he isn't off the mark for his new club just yet.

Probably the most newsworthy member of the Silkmen team is John Rooney, brother of England and Manchester United striker Wayne, who scored his first professional goal in the 2-1 defeat at Daggers last year.

It took Macclesfield three games to get off the mark this season, as they didn't manage a goal in the trip to Northampton and home encounters with Leicester City and Notts County.

They did manage to defeat Port Vale 2-0 in front of their own fans, but their only other success on home soil was a 2-1 success against Torquay in mid-September.

Alexander's troops did pick up a worthy triumph in their last match though, as strikers from Reniel Sappleton and Rooney ensured a 2-1 success at Cheltenham to lift them to 15th in the table.

TEAM NEWS

Daggers: Danny Spiller will miss out once more, but there are promising signs for both Josh Scott and Wes Thomas as both strikers trained this week.

Macclesfield: The Silkmen have few injury problems, with Paul Morgan expected to be fit for Saturday, although Shaun Hessey isn't expected to be ready for the clash.

WE'VE MET BEFORE

As already mentioned, Daggers were easy winners last time out, and coupled with a 1-1 draw back in 2007, Daggers have never lost at Moss Rose.

On that day, Glen Southam penalty put the visitors ahead with a penalty, only for Nick Blackman to net a last-minute equaliser.

In fact, Daggers have only lost once against the Silkman, with a 1-0 home defeat in March 2008, as they currently hold a 2-1 lead in previous matches, with one draw to their name.

ONE TO WATCH

John Rooney- unsurprisingly, there is plenty of attention on the 18-year-old as he is Wayne's brother, but he is hoping to make his own name in the game.

"I want to carve out my own career," he said after scoring against Cheltenham.

"I want to have people knowing me for my own achievements and what I have done in football.

"If I can keep scoring goals like the one on Friday, perhaps people will be calling him 'John's brother' before too long!"

FROM THE DUGOUT

"We now face the prospect of three games against more fancied teams and of course that will present a different challenge," Macclesfield boss Keith Alexander.

"Dagenham will be full of confidence and play to their strengths. But if we are to have any aspirations of progressing, these are the sorts of games we have to win.

"So it will be a good gauge of how far we have come and certainly a game we are all looking forward to."

PREDICTION

Daggers to pick up a useful three points on their travels with a 2-1 triumph

Can Daggers emerge victorious against Macclesfield? Email: mike.simmonds@archant.co.uk

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