Cable tied: Prescot draw inches Macc closer to promotion
Silkmen still 16pts clear despite dropping points on the road
Be honest. Before a ball was kicked this season, where did you think Macclesfield would be in the league at Christmas? Top? In the play-offs? Midtable mediocrity? And how did you envisage Silkmen supporter sentiment would be towards head coach Robbie Savage? Total adoration? Jury still out, or calling for his head?
Even with the biggest budget in the Northern Premier League, it would have taken the most optimistic of crystal balls to have predicted that Macc would be 16 points clear going into the festive period. But here Macclesfield FC are. A miraculous 57 points from 22 games, conquering virtually all before them with Savage at the wheel and his foot pressed hard against the accelerator.
Saturday’s entertaining 2-2 draw away at Prescot Cables was surely a mere bump in the road in a so far superlative season as Macc march towards promotion to the National League North. However, both Savage and his players are taking nothing for granted with half the season still to play. And with that in mind, they will have been disappointed with aspects of their performance at both ends of the pitch as they let a winning position slip from their grasp against a persistent home side who played their part in a back-and-forth encounter.
First half
Savage made two changes to the side who beat Bamber Bridge in midweek. Alex Curran and Justin Johnson dropped to the bench, making way for Lewis Fensome and top-scorer Danny Elliott. Fensome lined up in a back three alongside Laurent Mendy and Sam Heathcote with captain Paul Dawson sitting out the final game of his three-match ban following his sending off at Altrincham in the FA Trophy. Elliott partnered D’Mani Mellor upfront.
On another rain swept afternoon, Macc began sloppily on a bobbly pitch and found themselves a goal behind on 14 minutes. Neil Kenghi, who has been in terrific form recently, made not one but two errors in succession. Firstly, the left-back opted to chest down a ball into the box from Prescot rather than clear it was his head. In doing so he gifted possession to a Cables attacker and then inexplicably tripped him on the edge of the penalty area when he appeared to be going nowhere. James Foley’s resultant spot-kick was brilliantly saved by Max Dearnley diving to his left, but sadly the rebound fell straight to Foley who gleefully tapped the ball into the net. 1-0.
The writing had been on the wall moments earlier. Mendy was outjumped by a Prescot striker who saw his header cleared off the line by Tre Pemberton. In the early exchanges it was the home side who were invariably winning duels and second balls as Macc were too laboured in and out of possession.
Gradually, the Silkmen’s quality started to show and it took a triple save from Prescot’s excellent keeper Calvin Hare to deny what looked to be a certain equaliser after 22 minutes. Mendy advanced from defence and found Luke Duffy, who produced some delightful skill to dummy a Prescot defender and strike a shot which was parried into the path of Danny Elliott. But Elliott, six yards out and with three-quarters of the gaping goal to aim for, somehow struck his effort against Hare who then miraculously kept out Elliott’s follow-up attempt. A golden chance spurned.
Two minutes later Macc were in behind again. A long, arching ball from Pemberton found Mellor in the right inside forward position. Mellor bared down on goal but failed to get enough power on his shot and Hare easily saved it.
After an indifferent start, Macc were in the ascendancy. Hare came racing off his line to beat Elliott in a footrace when the Macclesfield striker looked favourite to get there first. Elliott subsequently tested the Prescot number one again with a snapshot which was easily gathered. Macc were chucking the kitchen sink at Cables but Hare was in unbelievable form, beating away a rasping drive from Fensome and also saving Rooney’s sliding effort from the rebound. On the stroke of half-time, Fensome may have done better with his header when finding himself unmarked from a John Rooney corner but was unable to guide it on target.
Second half
As he often does to great effect, Savage made some tactical re-adjustments during the interval which instantly paid dividends. Alex Curran came on for Fensome as the Silkmen switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation, which at times resembled 4-3-1-2 with Curran playing centrally ahead of a midfield trio of Rooney, Edmondson and Duffy.
Macc were now dominating the ball with short, snappy passages of play and Prescot couldn’t cope with the speed and movement as the Silkmen turned on the style. Our equalizer on 50 minutes was well worked. Sam Heathcote played a ball down the line, Danny Elliott held off the Cables full-back, before turning and spinning away to deliver a superb cross from the right perfectly into the path of D’Mani Mellor who fired home from close range. 1-1.
Two minutes later Silkmen fans were in dreamland when a brilliant finish from top-scorer Elliott capped off a glorious one touch move involving Mellor and Edmondson, culminating in Elliott producing a tremendous left-foot finish into the bottom corner from 20 yards to send Macc 2-1 up. This was a move and finish of the highest quality and it was wonderful that so many Macc fans were able to witness it, thanks to Robbie Savage’s generosity in subsiding the supporters coach run by Ian Armitt.
The away side were rampant now and could, and should, have put the game to bed. Kengni, steaming in from the left, lashed a cross-come shot wide when he might have been better served trying to locate a teammate. Then Curran, played in by Mellor, saw his shot saved by keeper Hare’s legs who continued to have an inspired afternoon between the sticks.
Macc seemed likely to score a third but were unexpectedly pegged back as Prescot equalised from John Murphy on 71 minutes. A left-wing cross into the box was helped on its way in kamikaze fashion by way of a miscued volley. This took the Silkmen’s rearguard by surprise, a melee in the box ensued and the ball was eventually turned into the goal by Murphy from close range. 2-2. It was a scrappy goal to concede, but sometimes you can’t legislate for unexpected touches in the box which totally wrongfooted Macclesfield’s defenders.
From there it was anyone’s game in a scintillating finale. Prescot almost took the lead after a wicked ball into the area was guided over the bar by Mendy. It was excellent defending from the Silkmen defender, but his clearance from right under the crossbar could easily have resulted in an own goal.
But at the other end, Macc ought to have made it 3-2 only for Danny Elliott to miss another glorious chance which was handed onto a plate to him. More good work from Duffy took him into the penalty area but his cut back was narrowly turned wide of the post by Elliott’s first time shot.
The excitement didn’t end there. Cables thought they’d snatched it at the death when Jack Goodwin’s effort from a corner found the side-netting rather than the goal as Silkmen supporters anxiously watched on. Finally in injury time, Prescot full-back Matty Devine was sent off after receiving a second yellow card following a deliberate handball.
Full-time: Prescot Cables 2 Macclesfield FC 2
Player ratings
Dearnley 7 – deserved better luck after making an excellent diving stop to initially keep out Prescot’s penalty. No chance with the equaliser and had little to do outside of that.
Pemberton 7.5 – headed off the line to prevent the home side taking the lead and made an excellent sliding tackle to thwart a dangerous Prescot counter-attack late on. Lovely pass created an opening for Mellor in the first half but the striker couldn’t convert.
Fensome 7 – subbed at half-time but I thought he was Macc’s best centre back in the first half. Tried to push forward into midfield and had one effort well-saved by the Prescot keeper. On the receiving end of a nasty challenge and needed treatment afterwards, which may have swayed Savage’s thinking to bring him off instead of Heathcote.
Heathcote 6 – his passes from the back were safe, rather then progressive, but when he was more adventurous he played a good ball to Elliott which subsequently led to Macc’s equalizer. Needed to be more aggressive at times.
Mendy 7.5 – did his best to get the Silkmen on the front foot with some penetrating runs out of defence, which twice led to big chances when he linked up with Duffy. Occasionally left hearts in mouths when he tried to overplay on a bobbly surface. Like Heathcote, didn’t dominate aerially as the Silkmen struggled in the final minutes.
Kengni 6 – his poor decision-making gifted Prescot’s penalty. As ever, he tried to bomb forward but not at his brilliant best today.
Rooney 7 – got to grips with the midfield after a slow start and almost scored with a low drive in the first half. Mixed results from dead-ball situations, which for his immense talent, he will be disappointed with.
Edmondson 8 – arguably the Silkmen’s best player, and unless he was tired or carrying a knock, seemed harshly subbed on 72 minutes when he was the most effective midfielder on the pitch in the second half. Showed some delightful touches and skill.
Duffy 7.5 – on another day could have had two assists and he rose to prominence in the second half following the change in formation. Has all the capabilities to influence games more than he sometimes does.
Mellor 8 – his well-taken equalizer was his 12th of the season, continuing his rich vein of form recently. So much more than a poacher – Mellor’s pace, pressing and ability to link up play in the final third made him a nightmare for Prescot to defend against.
Elliot 7.5 – an outstanding assist for the equaliser and classy finish to put Macc 2-1 up. But guilty of squandering two unbelievable chances. Took his tally to 20 this season – he could easily double that in the second half of the season if he can improve his accuracy in the six-yard box.
Subs:
Curran 7 – his half-time introduction definitely helped turn the tide in the Silkmen’s favour as they had more movement and attacking impetus in the final third. Could have done better with his goalscoring opportunity which would have put the Silkmen 3-1 up.
Whitehead 6.5 – combative when replacing Edmondson with 20 minutes remaining, and perhaps may have been more effective alongside the Blackburn on-loan youngster as the game increasingly became stretched.
Etaluku (no rating)– replaced Elliott on 86 minutes.