Jon Moran urges Nantwich Town to seize moment ahead of Macclesfield FA Cup tie

Moran, 28, is closing in on a year in charge of the Dabbers, and is in the middle of his first FA Cup run in the dugout.

His side defeated Step 5 Charnock Richard then fellow West Division sides Avro and Trafford to get to this stage - the furthest the Nantwich boss has gotten to in his entire career.

“I’ve been around clubs that have been further, but I’ve never actually been part of a round like this,” Moran told the NPL.

“I’m nervous, excited… probably more excited than nervous, but that’s because I know I’ve got a good team, and we’re going into it confident as well.

“You do approach these games differently [from a player and now a manager's perspective], but at the end of the day, you want to go in and win it, and that mentality won’t change.

“It’s important that I convey a positive outlook to the players because we’ve shown that we’re good enough. We’re in this round for a reason, and I’m sure that Macclesfield will be seeing it as a tough game too.”

The blueprint for success

Photo credit: Darren Murphy

The Dabbers’ opponents breezed past the competition in the Northern Premier League last season, winning the Premier Division title with a record-breaking points tally of 109.

So far in their first season back at Step 2 since their reformation, Macclesfield have had to navigate a pre-season managerial change, as Robbie Savage moved onto Forest Green Rovers.

Nevertheless, they’ve found their feet sufficiently, winning three, drawing three and losing three of their opening nine National League North games.

The Silkmen have had ample resources available to progress up the leagues, but Moran still credits John Rooney’s side for the manner of their success - a blueprint he hopes to follow with Nantwich. 

“A lot of teams look at them and think that with the finances they have behind them, of course they should be where they are, but ultimately that’s not true,” he added.

“You see all the time that some clubs get the backing, but then don’t go on to do anything.

“Macclesfield have been a fantastic club from a historical point of view, but also a resource point of view, and they’re a club that we want to look at and mirror at some point.”

Fearless approach for the Dabbers 

Photo credit: Jonathan White

Clearly Macclesfield can be viewed as a formidable opponent for any side in a lower division, but Moran is ensuring that his side stays confident ahead of this Saturday’s game.

He said: “We’ll be going into it with it [the division difference] in the back of our mind, but ultimately, they haven’t added too many new players from last year. 

“They were in a higher division than us last year, of course, but I look at my squad and think that we’re not playing at the right level.

“So are we a million miles off? In my opinion, no, we’re not.

“A lot of us have played against their players or have played at the same level, so there’s an aspect of confidence there.

“We won’t run away from the fact that this is a club who are two leagues higher and will do well this season, as they did last year, but we will be confident and positive.”

‘There are two types of dogs - underdogs and hungry dogs'

Photo credit: Darren Murphy

Indeed, Moran doesn’t believe in the idea of his side being an underdog. 

He insists he wants his side to have expectation and belief that they take the game to the Silkmen, rather than hope for an upset.

“The lads take the mick out of me, because I tell them that there are two types of dogs: underdogs and hungry dogs.

“Underdogs are those who have felt loss and been beaten and use that as motivation, whereas hungry dogs have tasted victory and success and want more.

“I want a team who are hungry. We’re not going into this game thinking it’s a free hit or that we are the underdogs; we want to go in with every intention of winning and hopefully create some memories for the fans.”

A cup upset on the cards?

Photo credit: Jonathan White

Ultimately, that’s the main message that the Nantwich boss is conveying ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup clash against their Cheshire near-neighbours, with just 30 miles separating the sides.

Last season, the Dabbers bowed out in the extra preliminary round of the FA Cup, finished outside the play-offs and didn’t get too far in the FA Trophy either. 

Moran is hoping to change that and reward those who have made the journey to the Leasing.com Stadium with a memory to last a lifetime.

“Without fans, there’s no football, so we’ve got to make sure they’re enjoying themselves, and a cup run’s a great way to do that,” he admitted..

“They’re a great platform for fans to turn up, get excited and start dreaming the dreams that they haven’t for a while, and that’s certainly what I want to try and do.

“We’ve got around 250 tickets sold [for Saturday] and hopefully that gets bigger and bigger. It’s brilliant to see that support - it’s a great number for us.

“I’m really proud of everyone who has been a part of it, and it’s creating a good environment, not just for the players, but also one that the fans can look on and be proud of a group that’s doing everything to try and make them proud.

“Hopefully on Saturday, we can do just that.”