PAUL Ince's Macclesfield side wore the warrior hallmark of one of football's feistiest competitors.

But not even 'The Guv'nor' of so many past battles could bridge a gap as cavernous as that between Chelsea and a side second from bottom at the foot of the Football League.

Forget the 6-1 scoreline, however, and remember how little Macclesfield fought in a cats-and-dogs downpour at Stamford Bridge which, in fleeting cameos during an even first half, had FA Cup shock written all over it.

That ultimately they failed was down to a hat-trick from Chelsea's 'Mr Consistency', Frank Lampard, and the harshest of decisions from referee Lee Mason when he sent off Macclesfield goalkeeper Tommy Lee for bringing down Andriy Shevchenko.

If 11 fit 'Silkmen' had little chance of picking up the £1million prize offered for victory by a betting firm then 10, with captain David Morley taking over as substitute goalkeeper, had no hope whatsoever.

Nine had even less, John Miles limping off with 12 minutes left with Ince having already used his three substitutes.

And yet, in an era when the Premiership and the Champions League often appear to be all that matter, this match contained so much of what we used to love about the magic of the FA Cup.

For a start no-one could accuse Jose Mourinho of disrespecting football's most famous domestic competition.

Some of Chelsea's big guns were not there, it's true. No Claude Makelele, Didier Drogba, Michael Essien or Michael Ballack.

But the side he sent out might conservatively cost some £150million in the transfer market, while Macclesfield's would have been nearer to £150,000.

A lot of buckets of sweat are needed to bridge that cavern.

For Ince, the former enforcer in the midfields of Manchester United and Inter Milan, this was "a weekend off" from trying to keep his Macclesfield team in the Football League, which he is making a pretty good fist of considering they are in the midst of a 10-game unbeaten league run.

It did not look like a break. Ince is a winner by nature and he prowled the technical area from the start, mentally kicking every ball, constantly whistling and urging on his side.

By contrast, Mourinho limited himself to the occasional wild leap out of the dugout followed by familiar shrugs of frustration.

He has much to be frustrated about. For long periods his diamond midfield lacked a cutting edge even when faced with such lowly opposition.

His attack, too, struggled to open up the League Two side which inevitably saw the Macclesfield fans chanting "Who are yer...who are yer", whenever the ball went near Shevchenko.

Considering £31million would have bought most of Macclesfield town, let alone the football club, it was a point well made.

Indeed, it came as a relief to the home support when Lampard turned up in the six-yard box to stab home a loose ball in the 17th minute.

Here we go. Except that this Chelsea side do not do confidence right now and it was no surprise when a Ricardo Carvalho mistake was seized upon by John Murphy, who planted a right foot shot through the legs of Chelsea goalkeeper Hilario.

The Chelsea fans were not singing any more but then neither were the manic 5,000 from Macclesfield when Lampard struck again within a minute.

Shevchenko's coming together with the goalkeeper effectively sealed the affair and late goals from Shaun Wright-Phillips, Mikel and Carvalho were harsh on Macclesfield.

The reality, however. was summed up by Mourinho.

"We are in the last 16 of the Champions League, we are in the semi-final of the Carling Cup, we are second in the Premiership," he wrote in the match programme.

"We have options in every competition because we face our problems with courage, we face them together, fighting."

As for Macclesfield they will be back down south again next week to face Barnet.

Back in another world.

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