Macclesfield assistant boss almost missed Chelsea draw

Macclesfield assistant manager Ray Mathias was doubly surprised by yesterday’s FA Cup third-round draw, which has pitched Coca-Cola League Two’s bottom club away to Barclays Premiership champions Chelsea.

The Silkmen, whose player-manager is former England midfielder Paul Ince, booked their place in the draw with a 2-1 win over Hartlepool. As well as struggling to take in the fact that his side now face a glamour trip to west London, Mathias was taken by surprise the draw had started at all.