When talking about bad away days at Macclesfield the topic of conversation will soon come around to Boxing Day 2005, and the 6-0 hammering.

Older fans, though, still have bitter memories of, arguably, an even more embarrassing defeat at Moss Rose.

Turn the clock back to December 1967. County were riding high in Division Three and were looking good bets for a second-successive promotion when the FA Cup first-round draw paired them with neighbours Macclesfield, then in the Cheshire League.

"There's nothing the Macc lads would like more is to put one over on the giants from Edgeley Park," reported one paper.

And the Silkmen nearly did just that on a snow-covered Edgeley Park forcing a replay in front of 11,120.

Four days later, with Moss Rose packed to the rafters - the 9,000 gate was a League and Cup record for Macc - they recovered from an early Derek Kevan goal to win 2-1.

Chairman Vic Bernard slammed the players for a "pathetic" performance. "This was pathetic, the worst performance I have ever seen from County," he fumed. "In fact I was embarrassed.

"This display could not go without comment and I want to apologise to our fans.

"It is their loyal support that keeps us going and I know just how they feel.

"I therefore want it to be known that the managers have been told - and I expect it to be passed onto the players - that if there is ever a performance like this there will be real fireworks."

Bernard's words did not go unheeded. Just two days after the Macc debacle the Hatters blew promotion-rivals Reading out of the water at Edgeley Park; Jim Fryatt, (2) and Albert Harley were the County marksmen in the 3-0 win.

The Hatters misery at Macclesfield wasn't consigned to the pitch, either. After the game more than 1,000 of County's fans - out of an estimated 5,000 that had travelled down the A623 - went on the rampage in the town centre with many shop and house windows smashed by flying bricks.

More trouble came during the train journeys home. The express from London to Manchester arrived half-an-hour late after the communication cord had been pulled at Cheadle Hulme.

The Cheshire neighbours didn't meet again until 1992 when County were given the chance to avenge the 1967 defeat.

After winning at York City in the FA Cup first round the hatters were drawn at Moss Rose in round two.

And, just like 1967, the Edgeley men took an early lead, this time, through Andy Preece.

A comprehensive victory was wrapped up when Bill Williams added a second in front of 5,700.

We can also boas of two victories in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. Last season Michael Malcolm's flying header did the trick. This year a fine solo goal from Paul Tierney saw County make progress.

The two League games we've played at the Moss since Macc won promotion to the professional ranks have been less enjoyable!

We've already touched on the 6-0 massacre, the Silkmen's record League victory. The Hatters were adrift at the bottom of the division with, seemingly, a one-way ticket to the Conference.

Enter a certain Jim Gannon to produce a miracle that, when everything is taken into consideration, was greater than Colin Murphy's Great Escape in 1987.

Then, last season, County again let down the travelling hordes with another way below par performance that saw them crash to a tame 2-0 defeat.