NON-LEAGUE: Hebburn Town not daunted by Macclesfield test as Boldon CA eye cup upset

Hebburn Town manager Daniel Moore has insisted his side will ‘give everything they’ve got’ when they visit Northern Premier League Premier Division title favourites Macclesfield on Tuesday night.

The Hornets will make the trip looking to bounce back from Saturday’s disappointing home defeat against struggling Matlock Town - but know they face a sizeable task against a Silkmen side that are unbeaten in their first 11 league games so far this season. That has meant Robbie Savage’s men will head into Tuesday night’s clash sat one point clear at the top of the table - but they also hold a game in hand on second placed Worksop Town, who Hebburn will visit at the weekend.

The game against the Silkmen will provide one of the most eye-catching fixtures of the season for the Hornets as they visit a club with genuine ambitions to reach the Football League and are viewed as clear favourites to secure promotion into the National League North this season. Moore believes the fixture shows just how Hebburn have come as a club in recent years - but stressed his players are not daunted by what lies ahead and will be looking to secure a win against the current leaders.

He told The Gazette: “I’m not one of these that are bitter about people having bigger budgets, I just say hats off to them because if you want to progress a football club, I’m all for that. We’ve seen clubs up here do it in recent years and if it’s done right, they’ve got the infrastructure to be in the Football League in coming years.

“It’s a good night for the supporters if they can get down but we aren’t going for a jolly night out, we are going to win. I said it to a couple of people in recent weeks, supporters look for the biggest fixtures first - but as management and players, we just take them as it comes. But when you’ve got this ahead, who would have thought Hebburn Town would play Macclesfield in a league fixture on a Tuesday night when our club was where they were. I’m proud we can do that and hopefully the players will represent the club and the badge with pride and give everything they’ve got - which I know they will because we will be going there for three points.”

Boldon look for cause upset in Durham Challenge Cup

Northern League Division Two side Boldon CA are also looking to spring a shock as they host Division One club Whickham in a rearranged Durham Challenge Cup tie. After last week’s original meeting of the two sides was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch at the Villa, Dan Crooks and David Palmer’s side head into the game looking for a third win in ten days after taking maximum points from league games with Darlington Town and Chester-le-Street Town.

Speaking after the latter of those wins on Saturday, Crooks said: “We are all absolutely delighted to get the three points and it’s a win that breaks the away day duck we’ve had over us. Just as importantly, it shows the progress we’ve made since we’ve taken over at the club. To a man, we were fantastic and resolute throughout at a tough place to go. We are so proud of the lads and we are all now looking forward to games on Tuesday and Friday.”