Macclesfield had a relatively underwhelming first season back in the non-league after their demise at the end of the 2011-12 season. They had a clean break in the summer by appointing Steve King and signing a host of new players that were the nucleus of a brand new squad. King was boisterous and encouraged by the summer transfer campaign and immediately claimed that the aim is return to the Football League at the first attempt. And indeed his team were off to a very good start, winning four of their first five games and six of their first eight, including the scalps of local rivals Wrexham and Stockport. The team was playing a relatively refined level of football for this level, retaining the ball well and attacking with speed down the wings. In Kieran Murtagh and John Paul Kissock, they also had two of the better midfielders in the league. To add to the excitement, the likes of Pablo Mills, Anthony McNamee and Amari Morgan-Smith were signed up just before the end of the transfer window and the Macc definitely had the look of a team capable of challenging for the top places. However, things soon took a turn for the worse after going six games without a win and putting some shocking defensive display. The overall decline in performances and results continued well into the autumn despite the quality of the players in the team as the morale dropped and they seemed to stop believing in the methods adopted by King. However, the relatively mediocre campaign was breathed new life at the start of 2013 when Championship leaders Cardiff were knocked out in the FA Cup third round with a dramatic 2:1 win at home. The focus was set on extending the run in the Cup and the next opponent was Premier League side Wigan. The Latics, who would go on and win the cup, were outplayed for large stages of the game but secured a lucky win while Macclesfield missed their big chance. That setback did not seem to derail them too much and a six-game uneaten run going to February revived the play-off hopes. A shocking 4:0 loss at the hands of Gateshead stopped the momentum but still three wins in the next four games kept them in the race with only a few points separating them from the top-five places. However, The good run ended there and two points gathered from the next four games, including a 3:1 loss at the hands of Grimsby that definitely ended any challenge for the play-offs, sealed the exit of King who was sacked after that game. Caretaker John Askey had little success in the remaining few games, picking just one win from the last five games, and overall the season ended on a low note and with a lot of uncertainty about the next season when a new manager will come in.
