Unbeaten at home, Macclesfield Town provide the next test of Barnet’s credentials on the road, with the Bees the last unbeaten side away from home in the Conference.

Relegated from League 2 in 2012 after an unbroken spell of 14 years in the Football League, the Silkmen have found life in the Conference tough going, finishing 11th and 15th in their first two seasons back at this level.

Financial problems have undoubtedly played their part in two underwhelming finishes, with the club becoming community owned this summer, following the transfer of shares from owners Amar and Bashar Alkadhi into a Community Interest Scheme.

The transfer of shares also saw the club’s board members write off all existing loans to the club, whilst East Cheshire Council purchased the freehold of the club’s Moss Rose ground for £285,000.

On the field, John Askey replaced Steve King as the club’s manager this summer, with Askey returning to the hot-seat for his second stint as boss.

The 49-year-old spent 19 years at Moss Rose as a player, and made more than 600 appearances for the club before becoming manager in 2003, following his retirement.

Askey succeeded John Moss in October of that year, but after just 27 games, was replaced by Brian Horton, with the Silkmen looking anxiously over their shoulder following a run of just one win in 13 league fixtures.

With three wins and four draws at Moss Rose so far this season, it has been a considerably better start to the campaign than this time 12 months ago, where it took King’s side until their tenth fixture to register a win.

Macclesfield then lost just four of their next 19 – beating Barnet 2-1 at The Hive – before a torrid spring saw them slump towards mid-table mediocrity, ultimately costing King his job.

Striker Waide Fairhurst – now in his third spell with the club – leads Macclesfield’s goal-scoring charts this term, having hit four in 13.

The former Doncaster Rovers forward left Moss Rose for Lincoln City last summer, but struggled for games and goals with the Imps and re-joined the Silkmen on loan, before making the switch permanent this summer.

It was during his first spell at Moss Rose – between 2011 and 2013 – that Fairhurst enjoyed the best spell of his career to date; netting 13 times in 32 league starts.

Two goals in five starts for Lincoln preceded a loan return to Macclesfield in January, before Fairhurst sealed a permanent return in the summer.

At the back, vastly-experienced centre-half George Pilkington has also inked a permanent deal with the Silkmen after impressing during the final third of last season.

The 32-year-old made 15 league starts last term on loan from Mansfield Town and has previously played at this level with Luton Town.

Pilkington made 163 appearances in all competitions for the Hatters, before joining the Stags in 2012. However the move to Field Mill did not work out and the Rugeley-born defender made just six league starts in two seasons at the club.

Loan stints with Forest Green Rovers and Macclesfield followed, before a permanent move to Cheshire was tied up in the summer.

The former Everton trainee was part of the 2013 Conference-winning Mansfield squad and also lifted the Football League Trophy with Luton in 2009.

Likely Macclesfield Town XI: Taylor; Cowan, Waterfall, Pilkington, Barrow; Holroyd, Gonzalez, Haining, Lewis, Gnahoua; Fairhurst.