Macclesfield are riding the crest of a wave after their historic FA Cup giant killing against Crystal Palace and will find out their fourth-round opponent tonight
Sam Heathcote had his sights set on a Dream Cup tie against Manchester United but was rejected following a third-round exit. (Image: Getty Images)
Macclesfield hero Sam Heathcote has had his dreams of playing against his boyhood club Manchester United cut short after Crystal Palace’s giant killing. With a 2-1 win on Saturday, the Silkmen defeated the current FA Cup holders in the biggest shock in the competition’s history.
The National League North club, managed by John Rooney, brother of Manchester United and England icon Wayne, are eyeing their next dream fixture with the draw set to take place at Anfield on Monday night. Joyful moments have dominated the landscape, such as the shot of captain Paul Dawson heading home, bandaged, after the opening game or after storming onto the pitch after the full-time whistle.
Celebrations by Cheshire club officials continued into the night Heathcote, who was at the heart of Macclesfield’s defense against Oliver Glasner’s side, was aiming to play against the Red Devils, but Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion deprived the primary school teacher of his dreams.
The Heathcote family has had an affinity for Anfield ever since the 28-year-old defender’s father Graham scored at the Kop end in the Robins’ 4-1 defeat to Altrincham, and January 3 will mark the 45th anniversary of that goal. The defender could follow in his father’s footsteps if Arne Slott’s side can avoid a third-round upset at Barnsley.
“I’m a United fan and my dad has always been too,” Heathcote exclusively told Mirror Football. “He had a very famous career in the FA Cup and it was like the 45th anniversary of him scoring for Altrincham against Liverpool in the FA Cup.
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“So he scored at Anfield and he said the only chance of breaking it is if I play against United.
“So he was the one I wanted in the next round. I would love to score at Anfield, but don’t get me wrong.”
Macclesfield have one of the top budgets in the National League North, but that’s only a proportion of the price tag that Palace stars Adam Wharton and Mark Guehi are touted for. It was an afternoon to remember for the defeated holders. An inquest was held immediately after the game and pictures showed Guehi, 25, speaking to fans behind the goal, and Dawson and Luke Duffy being restrained for pitch trespassing.
Full-back Lewis Fensom was brought back to reality almost immediately after team-mate Josh Kaye, on loan from Oldham Athletic, was filmed hoo-hooing in the North West gym, with most Macclesfield players returning to their day jobs on Monday.
Sam Heathcote poses with a beer after Macclesfield’s Giant Killing (Image: Getty Images)
More than 24 hours after this famous feat, the feeling has not subsided. Heathcote said: “It’s weird. That’s probably the most important thing. No one could have predicted what happened in those 90 minutes and beyond. So, yeah, I still feel really weird and obviously I’m still full of adrenaline.”
“I think it’s starting to sink in, but I still can’t quite believe it happened and it’s like the big dream of the weekend.”
Media duties and opportunities replaced the defender, but he failed to pick up any memorabilia from his Premier League opponents.
Rooney’s side set the tone with their strong front-foot approach and resilience, but despite coming up against a £35m Palace side who signed Brennan Johnson in January, Heathcote said they did not falter or get overwhelmed by the occasion, warning clubs they could face in the fourth round.
Luke Duffy (left) and Paul Dawson (centre) celebrate (Image: Getty Images)
He said: “I didn’t have too many feelings about who we were playing. Only once did Lewis Fensom properly beat a tackle from Guehi.
“After about a minute I thought, ‘Wow, you’ve nailed a top English player’. But at the end of the day, we’re all just normal people, right?”
“They’re just regular guys like us. It was 11-on-11 yesterday, and that’s how you have to look at it. Not star-struck or anything like that, you can always try, right? That’s exactly what we did.”
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