Wow, what an incredible topsy-turvy week. Three titanic struggles against Scarborough (twice) and South Shields, yet somehow the Silkmen remain in the FA Cup and sit top of the National League North. (Photo credit: Chelsie Ann Louise).
This edition of the Silkmen News will focus on how Macclesfield came back from the brink in a seven-goal thriller against South Shields and we’ll take a closer look at the performances of Luke Duffy, Jonathan Ustabasi, George Wilson, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and our defence as a whole.
We are top of the league
There are victories that earn three points, and there are victories that tell us something more significant about John Rooney’s team. Macclesfield’s remarkable 4-3 win over South Shields felt very much like the latter.
At 2-0 down after 12 minutes and later trailing 3-1 as we approached half-time, this looked set to be the afternoon when the Silkmen’s promotion credentials where questioned. Instead, we produced our most impressive result of the season, not because we dominated, but because the players emptied their tanks, executed the gameplan and refused to be beaten.
This was even more commendable given Macclesfield had to go to hell and back to ultimately prevail against Scarborough in the FA Cup qualifier, whilst playing without injured talisman Paul Dawson against a fresh South Shields side.
The statistics are fascinating, but only tell half the story. To properly understand Saturday’s drama, we need to examine both halves separately.
First-half: South Shields should have been out of sight
For 45 minutes, South Shields demonstrated exactly why they remain one of the division’s most talented sides. Their start was devastating, orchestrated by the dangerous front pairing of goal machine Paul Blackett and Cedwyn Scott who led Macc’s backline a merry dance.
Two quickfire goals stunned the Leasing.com stadium and immediately put Macclesfield on the back foot. The visitors were at their incisive best, outclassing the Silkmen at times with sublime passing and movement which begrudgingly you had to admire.
They were given a helping hand though by Macc’s chaotic defensive high line with left back Cameron Borthwick-Jackson exposed. Based purely on the data alone, CBJ had a good game. A vital goal to give us hope and some excellent defensive numbers – Cameron won 6 out of 6 ground duels and made 11 defensive contributions (4 interceptions, 6 clearances and 1 blocked shot), with a passing accuracy of 84%.
So what’s the problem?
The (big) problem is that CBJ, at this stage in his career, is a liability as a full-back but remains a very good centre half. However at left back CBJ is slow, lacks the appetite to run the line as modern full-backs invariably do, and his positional negligence drags our other centre halves (Heathcote and Tom Wilson) out to cover for him leaving gaping holes in the centre of our defence.
As a centre back, Borthwick-Jackson’s reading of the game and calmness in possession is often first class, and to his credit CBJ gave a much improved second half showing. He’s having to ‘do a job’ whilst the Silkmen’s other preferred left backs Lincoln McFayden and Louis Lacey recover from nasty injuries.
John Rooney’s recent preference has been to play Ammar Dyer in his natural right back berth, rather than shift Dyer across to left back and ask Elliot Osborne to ‘do a job’ at right back.
The visitors identified Macc’s weakness and took full advantage. But it wasn’t just CBJ who was exposed in the first-half. Our entire backline didn’t know when to press, when to push up for offside or who should pick-up Blackett and Scott when they dropped into midfield.
The danger signals were there before Shields took the lead. Matthew Apter got brushed off the ball and it broke loose to Scott. Sam Heathcote attempted the press but Scott’s hooked pass sent Blackett on his way. CBJ and Dyer were on halfway and with Tom Wilson 10 yards behind them, there was no chance of catching Shields offside.
Thankfully, Christian Dibble came to Macc’s rescue (his first of many) by saving with his legs as Blackett drifted slightly wide before shooting. But Blackett made no mistake when given a second bite at the cherry in almost identical fashion. Apter again lost out in the middle of the park, Scott enticed Heathcote out to close him down before threading a slide rule pass through a gaping hole to Blackett who cooly made it 0-1.
Blackett then missed a glorious opportunity to score another, springing the offside trap with CBJ in no man’s land as Heathcote and Wilson frantically called for the linesman to flag. Thankfully, Wilson regrouped and made a sensational sliding tackle to thwart Blackett as the normally clinical striker took too long to pull the trigger.
It seemed impossible for our start to get worse, but it did. A slack header from Borthwick-Jackson back towards his own goal sent right winger Jordan Jones racing clear who clinically drilled pass Dibble. 0-2. I don’t know what CBJ was thinking. (Tom) Wilson had pushed up beyond halfway to mark Blackett, as had Dyer, leaving Heathcote 10 yards adrift of them.
Blackett anticipated the danger quicker than Wilson and pounced on the error, releasing Jones before Heathcote (once again) could intervene leaving the Silkmen in a pickle.
Borthwick-Jackson, meanwhile, was miles adrift of Jones, having reacted with the urgency of a tortoise after ten pints.
The Silkmen could have gone under, and thanks primarily to Tom Wilson and Luke Duffy (more on the magnificent Duffs later) they stuck at it.
Duffy, now operating centrally, took the ball, turned and sprayed the ball out to Danny Elliott whose pinpoint cross found Josh Kay steaming in from the right to pull a goal back. A lovely, free-flowing move capped by a brilliant run and calm finish from the ever-industrious Kayzee (or is it Kayze?).
Just when the Silkmen faithful’s mood was brightening, South Shields made it 3-1 following another quality move. Scott gave Heathcote the slip as had become customary and found Blackett on the right touchline.
Wilson tried to occupy the space where he expected CBJ to be.
This allowed Blackett to feed the unmarked Scott who scored with an excellent sweeping finish as Macclesfield chased shadows, although ‘chased’ may be a little charitable to CBJ.
Perhaps unkindly, I’ve shined the spotlight on CBJ but our defence overall was cut to ribbons. In fairness to Cameron his goal to make it 3-2, a powerful downward header from a Duffy corner which saw him beat four Shields defenders, was crucial in keeping the Silkmen in the game and arguably changed the complexion of the second half.
And like everyone, CBJ was excellent after the break and didn’t put a foot wrong in restricting the visitors to hardly any sights of goal.
But had Blackett and midfielder Onanaye taken their chances, Shields could have had six goals in the first half and should have been 4-2 up going into the interval. Their movement caused problems, their attacking play was enterprising and the Mariners looked dangerous every time they broke forward. The stats highlight just why.
62% possession
654 passes
14 shots (7 on target, 10 inside the box)
2.01 xG (expected goals), which feels low given Blackett and Onaneye were clean through on three occasions only to be denied by Dibble who got his angles and reflexes spot on
Second half: momentum changed everything
If the first half belonged largely to South Shields, the second half saw a resurgent and relentless Macc take charge. Within three minutes of the restart, Jonathan Ustabasi was sent racing clear after a purposeful through ball from Duffy before his deflected shot made it 3-3.
It was brilliant to see ‘Basi’ in full flight, who still had a lot to do in turning struggling full-back Daniel Dodds inside-out to create the space for his strike. The stadium erupted and you could sense that South Shields were rattled.
For all of their possession throughout the afternoon, the Mariners increasingly struggled to halt Macclesfield’s momentum. The Silkmen became more aggressive in midfield, more direct in attack and more dominant in individual battles. Excellent pressing by Danny Elliott led to a chance for Duffy who was denied by an outstanding save from Jasper Sheik.
By the time Elliott fired home the winner following George Wilson’s delicious through ball four minutes later, the comeback felt deserved rather than fortunate. From 3-1 down after 42 minutes, to 4-3 up after 69 minutes to complete a breathtaking turnaround.
That’s now eight goals for Danny this season, five in the league and three in the FA Cup, which far exceeds what any of us could have expected following his return after eight months on the sidelines. His run and assist for Kay’s opener was well crafted, he harried Shields’ defence into mistakes and produced a clinical finish to seal a huge win.
Possession doesn’t always mean control
One of the most interesting aspects of the match is the contrast between possession and influence. South Shields controlled the ball, Macclesfield controlled the big moments in the second half. Despite having just 38% possession and completing nearly 300 fewer passes, the Silkmen kept pace with South Shields in terms of genuine attacking threat.
Our expected goals figures finished:
South Shields: 2.01
Macclesfield: 1.59
That is a surprisingly small gap given the visitors’ territorial dominance. The statistics suggest much of Shields’ possession in the second half came in areas Macclesfield were comfortable allowing them to occupy. Meanwhile, when the Silkmen attacked, we did so with purpose.
Our shooting profile was exceptional:
8 shots (all on target)
7 shots inside the box
4 goals
For a side whose attacking prowess has been questioned this season during our data deep-dive last week, it was a ruthless display from Rooney’s warriors. Prior to Saturday, Macclesfield had taken 136 attempts and only produced 13 goals from 10 league games. Ironically, our eight shots against South Shields was the fewest we’ve had against any other team this season.
Duffy’s tactical switch and return to form was pivotal
While much of the attention will focus on the goalscorers, Luke Duffy gradually became the most influential player on the pitch. After beginning the season with three goals and an assist, Duffy’s productivity had dipped during the team’s sticky September.
As our performances became disjointed, Duffy’s form had noticeably dipped by his own high standards. Saturday felt like a return to his majestic best.
John Rooney deserves considerable credit here. With Macclesfield struggling in the opening stages, a tactical switch saw Duffy move into a more central attacking midfield role, while Josh Kay was switched over to the right.
The impact was almost immediate. For Macclesfield’s first goal, Duffy’s intelligent positioning allowed him to release Danny Elliott down the left. Elliott delivered the perfect cross and Kay arrived from the opposite flank to finish.
Rooney’s tactical adjustment changed the dynamic of the game. Duffy finished with:
2 assists
Involvement in 3 of Macclesfield’s 4 goals
11 ground duels won
3 successful dribbles from 3 attempts
81% passing accuracy
The part he played in Ustabasi’s equaliser was equally impressive. Macclesfield are a different side when Duffy is in full flow, and Saturday offered a timely reminder why.
Ustabasi may have finally arrived
There may be no more intriguing subplot than the performance of Jon Ustabasi. When he arrived in the summer after tormenting National League North defences with AFC Fylde, expectations were understandably high.
Yet heading into Saturday, the numbers told a story of frustration rather than fulfilment. After ten league games, Ustabasi had recorded:
1 goal
1 assist
13 shots
11 chances created
16 dribbles attempted
Just 8 successful dribbles
Ustabasi’s talent has long been obvious, but thus far for the Silkmen his output has been limited. Against South Shields, however, supporters finally witnessed the type of display they had been anticipating.
‘Basi’s goal after 48 minutes made for a grandstand second half. Yet it wasn’t simply about scoring, Ustabasi was everywhere. He finished with:
51 touches
5 successful dribbles
12 ground duels won
3 fouls won
1 goal from his only shot on target
Perhaps most significantly, he completed five successful dribbles in one game after managing only eight across his first ten league appearances. This was the direct, aggressive, confident Ustabasi that Macclesfield thought they had signed. One game doesn’t erase a difficult start, but it certainly felt like a breakthrough performance.
George Wilson’s match-winning cameo
If Duffy reignited the attack and Ustabasi announced himself, George Wilson delivered the decisive intervention. Introduced in the 57th minute with the scores level at 3-3, Wilson changed the complexion of the midfield.
One of the dangers when a team completes a comeback is that momentum naturally dissipates. Wilson made sure it didn’t. His contribution in just over half an hour was extraordinary:
8 ground duels won from 10 contested
4 interceptions
6 recoveries
91% passing accuracy
1 assist
Every loose ball seemed to belong to Wilson, while every South Shields attack appeared to run into him.
George’s numbers tell the story of a player who completely seized control of midfield when the game was in the balance. Then came the defining moment. Wilson’s perfectly weighted through ball split the South Shields defence and allowed Danny Elliott to score the winner. An outstanding assist to cap an outstanding cameo.
Final Verdict
Saturday’s victory will rightly be remembered for the drama. But strip away the emotion and the result reveals something more interesting about both sides.
For South Shields, the match reinforced concerns that have been developing for several weeks. Their attacking quality is unquestionable. Any side capable of scoring three goals away from home and racing into a two-goal lead possesses genuine threat. Yet their defensive problems are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Having now conceded 13 goals in away trips to Hereford, Brackley and Macclesfield, there is growing evidence that opponents are finding it too easy to exploit the Mariners when games become stretched, or momentum swings against them.
For the Silkmen, the picture is slightly more complicated. The comeback demonstrated phenomenal resilience, mentality and belief. The contributions of Luke Duffy, Jonathan Ustabasi and George Wilson highlighted the depth of talent available to John Rooney, while the ruthless finishing was a welcome contrast to some of the wastefulness previously identified.
However, there remains a warning sign hidden beneath the celebrations. Macclesfield have now fallen behind in six of their opening 14 competitive matches this season.
More remarkably, they have gone behind in exactly half (22) of their last 44 league and cup fixtures stretching back to the start of 2026.
The positive interpretation is obvious. This team simply refuses to accept defeat. In the league alone this season, the Silkmen have recovered from deficits to beat Radcliffe, Brackley, Darlington and South Shields. Those are not the characteristics of a side lacking character or championship credentials.
The concern is equally obvious. Promotion-winning teams cannot rely on comeback victories indefinitely. Recovering from 2-0 or 3-1 down requires huge emotional, physical and tactical expenditure. Sooner or later, there will be afternoons when the chances are not converted, the momentum does not swing and the comeback never arrives.
In many ways, Saturday felt like the perfect illustration of both sides of Macclesfield’s season so far. The first half exposed a vulnerability. The second half showcased a strength. The challenge moving forward is ensuring the latter does not continually have to compensate for the former.
For now, though, the positives far outweigh the concerns. Duffy looked back to his creative best. Ustabasi may finally have produced the breakthrough performance supporters have been waiting for and (George) Wilson looked like a complete midfielder in delivering his superb contribution from the bench.
Most importantly, the league leaders demonstrated once again that they possess an ability that cannot be measured by xG, possession or passing statistics. The Silkmen believe.
And when a team keeps finding new ways to win football matches, that belief becomes a very powerful weapon indeed.
Great summary if what was a tremendous comeback by the Silkmen after that great cup tie on Tuesday night. Well done Ben UTS.