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Macclesfield 0 Mansfield 2
The Silkmen lost 2-0 to Mansfield Town in our opening pre-season friendly, but there were more positives than negatives for new manager John Rooney. Macclesfield, featuring two teams of eleven in each half comprising a total of eight trialists, acquitted themselves well against League One opposition in the blazing sunshine. As well as attending the game, I watched the full-match replay on Mansfield’s club broadcast channel.
Captain Paul Dawson, Rollin Menayese and new defensive signing Josef Yarney didn’t take part and no official explanation has been given for their absence. Dawson was in attendance and did some jogging on the pitch prior to the game whilst also mingling with supporters, so presumably is carrying a minor knock.
Menayese trained with the club last week and Yarney only signed for the Silkmen on Monday. As previously stated here, Josef went off injured when playing for Boreham Wood in the National League South play-off final against Maidstone in May. It’s conceivable that he’s easing his way back to fitness. We’ll know more following our friendlies away at Newcastle Town tomorrow evening and at home against Halifax on Saturday.
We set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Dearnley in goal, Trialist no.6 at right back (Luke Matheson), Fensome, Heathcote and Lee in defence. A central, midfield pairing of Whitehead and Trialist no.14 (Regan Griffiths), Etaluku on the right, Mellor as the ‘ten’ in the middle and new signing Isaac Buckley-Ricketts occupying the left wing. Trialist no.18 (Ethan McLeod) operated as a lone striker.
*McLeod has since officially signed for the club this afternoon and becomes our third new arrival since last season. More on Ethan next time…*
Rooney liked what he saw as Macclesfield took the game to Mansfield in the opening 15 minutes. Central midfield trialist Regan Griffiths was hungry for the ball, switching between short and long passes as he dropped deep to try and set up attacks.
D’Mani Mellor was bright and positive as he drove forward and had the game’s first effort, a tame shot straight at the keeper after being teed up by Danny Whitehead. Sean Etaluku, who linked well with Mellor early on, intercepted the ball and embarked on a surging run down the right but couldn’t locate striker trialist Ethan McLeod who was well placed.
Then more good work from Mellor saw him turn and find Buckley-Ricketts who made space for himself, cut inside and fired a curler well over the bar. Etaluku, continuing his lively opening, then nearly latched onto a weak backpass.
Mansfield thought they’d taken the lead on 16 minutes. Griffiths was robbed of the ball in the middle of the park as the visitors advanced quickly. The ball eventually found its way to their striker in the box, despite the best efforts of our trialist right back and Lewis Fensome to intervene, who put the ball in the net from ten yards. The linesman’s flag went up and the ‘goal’ was duly disallowed for reasons I’m unsure of.
The Silkmen didn’t heed the warning as 90 seconds later we duly did fall behind to a poorly conceded goal. Griffiths was unable to reach Whitehead’s short pass intended for him in midfield, and whilst Danny seemed frustrated with his teammate I think he was at fault here. Griffiths lacks the athleticism and speed of Laurent Mendy who may have stood half a chance of reaching Whitehead’s ball.
But what happened next in the build-up to Mansfield’s opener was worse. The ball was played to the right winger who somehow found himself in acres of space. Brandon Lee tried to scurry from a central defensive position to close him down but had left himself in no man’s land. The winger produced a pinpoint cross which was headed home by the Stags’ striker Dom Dwyer who got in front of Fensome to give Dearnley no chance.
This is a big season for Brandon Lee following an injury hit campaign last year. He’s no longer competing for a starting place with the departed Neil Kengni and it is hoped that he can return to the excellent form he has consistently produced previously. But his positional play and general awareness against Mansfield was a concern.
Maybe Brandon wasn’t at the races against a good side who had a man extra in midfield, or perhaps it will take time for him to form an understanding with new man Isaac Buckley-Ricketts (IBR) on the left flank. Rooney already has to find a new right back to replace Tre Pemberton – let’s hope he doesn’t have to go into the market for a left back too!
We lost our way after the goal and were largely chasing shadows for the remainder of the first half. IBR tracked back well to deflect a Mansfield shot out for a corner after Lee had gone AWOL again. At the other end, an excellent one-two between Whitehead and Etaluku sent Sean away who won a corner which he subsequently took. The ball came out to Mellor who clipped it back into the box, Mansfield partially cleared to Griffiths whose first time drive was blocked.
On 33 minutes, the Stags nearly made it 2-0. Again, they got in down Macclesfield’s left flank and advanced into the area but the attacker’s shot was kept out by Dearnley’s legs which was a good save.
Second half
John Rooney named an entirely different team for the second half with the exception of captain for the day Lewis Fensome who remained on the field, which tells you everything about Lewis’s fitness to play almost 90 minutes in extreme heat! Not only that, Fensome had to play alongside a new goalkeeper (Trialist no.13), right back (Trialist no.7), centre back (Trialist no.24) and left back (Trialist no.3, Kwame Boateng, who this website revealed previously).
The midfield two were the returning Elliott Whitehouse and Trialist no.12 (who may also be a returner). Justin Johnson and Dontai Gabbidon occupied the wide areas, with Luke Duffy playing just behind last season’s goal machine Danny Elliott.
Macc began the second half as they did the first, brightly and on the front foot. Duffy in particular caught the eye, beating a midfielder to the ball by nodding it past him before advancing down the right channel and attempting to cross which was cleared.
The Silkmen almost equalized on 51 minutes. Whitehouse did well to control a pass played slightly behind him from Trialist no.3, turn and fire in a low shot which was heading into the corner of the net and had Mansfield’s keeper at full-stretch to keep it out. Elliott missed most of last season due to injury but did himself no harm with his contribution on Saturday. He was tenacious and got forward when he could, for me the pick of our midfielders when compared with the other trialists’. If Whitehouse can get back to the player who bagged 11 goals for Chester two seasons ago then it would be a major boost for Macclesfield and Rooney.
And arguably the Silkmen should have levelled on the hour. Sublime skill by Duffy saw him shimmy to shoot, then drop his shoulder and play a perfectly weighted ball into Danny Elliott’s path. Danny’s dinked finish didn’t have enough power or purchase and the Stags keeper made a routine save.
At the other end, Fensome misjudged a high ball and it fell to striker Rhys Oates who screwed his effort wide. The game was put to bed on 64 minutes though. Nice build-up on the left eventually saw a Mansfield player attempt a cross-come-shot which fell kindly into the path of Oates. Oates got there first ahead of Trialist no.3 to fire home from six yards. Slightly fortuitous for the visitors but nevertheless well-worked.
Another long, high ball over the top this time deceived Trialist no.24 on 81 minutes, it fell again to Oates who blazed wildly over. Full-time: Macclesfield FC 0 Mansfield Town 2
Meet the trialists
Trialist no.6: Luke Matheson
Right-back Matheson scored an equalizer for Rochdale against Manchester United at Old Trafford in a League Cup clash in 2019. Just 16 at the time, he subsequently earned a million pound move to Wolves after only 18 appearances for Dale. Matheson has gradually tumbled down the leagues following loan spells at Ipswich, Hamilton Academicals and Scunthorpe, before he joined Bolton Wanderers in 2023. He never made a senior appearance for Bolton and moved on again, featuring for Irish side Bohemians and Alfreton Town last season.
Verdict: Matheson is slight in stature but competed well against Mansfield in the first half. I liked how he drifted over to central defence to try and prevent the Stags’ disallowed goal and subsequent opener. He also chucked his body in the way to stop Mansfield from having a clean shot on goal when well placed. Displayed a defender’s instinct but barely had chance to show what he could do on the ball. I think some of the other trialist right backs performed better than Matheson on the day.
Trialist no.14: Regan Griffiths
Central midfielder Griffiths was rumoured to be on trial with us on Facebook and many expected it would be him and not Josef Yarney who was unveiled as Macclesfield’s second new signing. A former Crewe academy player, the 25 year-old left the Railwaymen in January 2024 and has since earned short-term moves to Kidderminster, Marine and Altrincham. Griffiths was made captain at Marine last season but fell out of favour and left earlier this year to join Altrincham in the National League where he barely featured for them.
Verdict: Started the game well and looks a talent with the ball at his feet, capable of playing a variety of passes and always made himself available. Almost played a peach of a through ball which was just a fraction over hit for Isaac Buckley-Ricketts who had taken up a central striker’s position.
But a lack of fitness and/or speed restricted Griffiths. He was dispossessed twice in central midfield which led to dangerous counter attacks and looked cumbersome when attempting to track back. I don’t think Danny Whitehouse was the right midfield partner for Griffiths who would benefit from ‘legs’ and aggression alongside him. Worth another look, maybe with Elliott Whitehouse or Paul Dawson next to him.
Trialist no.18: Ethan McLeod
Striker McLeod signed for Macclesfield today. I’ll share more about him next time.
Trialist no.13: Harvey Randle (unconfirmed)
I think the goalkeeper who started the second half for uscould be Harvey Randle who spent last season as a reserve for Altrincham. The 21-year-old is a former Derby trainee who has had spells in non-league with Step 3 Alvechurch and ninth tier Coventry United.
Verdict: Trialist no.13 was not comfortable with the ball on the deck and skewed a couple of clearances out for a throw-in. He had no chance with Mansfield’s second goal, but did make a decent save at the second attempt following a 20-yard strike. Was alert when coming off his line to clear an underhit backpass from Trialist no.7. Back-up keepers are hard to come by, so given Randle’s familiarity with Cheshire he’s worth having an extended look at.
Trialist no.7: John Oyenuga (unconfirmed)
My hunch is that Trialist no.7 is John Oyenuga, an experienced 5ft 6 right back who can play further forward. The 30 year-old has played approaching 100 games for teams in the National League South, including a spell with Eastleigh in the National League. He spent time at Enfield Town last season, but was released in January following the arrival of a new manager and joined Hendon.
Prior to that Oyenuga played for crisis club Dover Athletic where he was nominated for the player of the season award, an accolade he did win when representing Farnborough in the 2021-22 season.
Verdict: His energy and speed caught the eye and I think he was the pick of the right backs who featured for us against Mansfield. Showed a willingness to get forward too and even sprinted to make himself available in the left wing position in order to provide another option to pass to during one Macclesfield attack. Oyenuga, if indeed it is him, seems well regarded by supporters from his previous clubs. His only blip on Saturday was a weak back pass which was rescued by the Trialist keeper. Did enough to earn another opportunity to impress.
Trialist no.24: Levi Andoh
Andoh lined-up at centre back alongside Lewis Fensome, but the 6ft3 25-year-old is more accustomed to playing right back. As a centre half, I wasn’t impressed as he was caught out of position twice by long balls over the top. Born in Holland, Andoh has had a nightmare time with injuries, sustaining a serious spinal fracture soon after signing for York City in the National League which ended his 2023-24 season after just four matches.
After being released by York, Andoh featured for Darlington, Truro and Hereford last season. The ex Aston Villa academy player endeared himself to Hereford supporters following two previous all-action (but temporary) stints there. Andoh also played five games for Buxton in 2022.
Verdict: Without any prior knowledge of Andoh, I would have happily let him go based on Saturday’s showing. However, having read more about him and seen footage of him playing for Hereford, I’m intrigued to see him again. At Hereford, Andoh was a powerful and quick marauding full-back, who seemed to love getting forward and putting in tackles. We saw one glimpse of that on Saturday when he briefly vacated his centre back position to steam forward on the right touchline.
Andoh’s injury record and inability to hold down a club is concerning. However, IF he can stay fit I think there’s a player in there who might be the closest fit we’ve seen in terms of playing style to Tre Pemberton. I think Andoh is behind Kwame Boateng and Trialist no.7 (possibly John Oyennuga) of our right back trialists, but he might just have the highest ceiling.
Trialist no.3: Kwame Boateng
Former Sheffield Wednesday U23 player Boateng has been on trial with us for over a week now. A right back by trade, he was signed by Chorley following a successful trial last summer and subsequently loaned to Matlock, playing against Macc in November. Sadly he suffered a serious knee injury at the start of this year which is why he’s now a free agent.
Verdict: Boateng is probably the most unheralded of all our defensive trialists, but I was impressed by him against Mansfield. He was playing at left-back, not ideal for him given he’s naturally right-footed and had to check back. But he performed admirably, got stuck into tackles, performed a really smart turn to deceive a Mansfield player and looked comfortable in possession. Tall in stature, Boateng looks a good athlete. He’s struggled badly for game time due to injuries and a series of moves, but apparently acquitted himself well at Matlock. I’d like to see him given a go in his natural right back position as he showed promise.
Trialist no.12: Carlos dos Santos (unconfirmed)
Trialist number 12 has me most confused. I thought he had more of a passing resemblance to Carlos dos Santos, part of Macclesfield’s International Football Academy and U23 shadow youth team. But if that is the case, I’m not sure why dos Santos would have been named as a trialist?
Whoever it is, the central midfielder looked raw against Mansfield but definitely has potential. I liked his speed and enthusiasm to get stuck in, play adventurous passes and push forward. At times, he was exposed defensively, conceding a dangerous free-kick on the edge of the box following a rash challenge. But on another occasion, he played a delightfully weighted pass inbetween the centre half and full-back into the path of Justin Johnson which was a moment of real quality. All of Macclesfield’s other midfielders on the day were neat and tidy, but lacked dynamism – in contrast Trialist no.12 represented something different.
If it is Carlos dos Santos, he appears to have developed a fair bit since playing at left back for us in a friendly against TNS last season – a game in which he looked a fish out of water. I don’t think he’s ready for the National League North, but there’s potentially a rough diamond here.
And finally… read the room
A little bit of awareness can go a long way. Unfortunately,Robbie Savage’s presence in the Main Stand for part of the second half portrayed a lack of understanding so soon following his controversial move to Forest Green. It was sadly inevitable, yet understandable, that Silkmen supporters were infuriated by Savage’s audacity, and seemingly by the club’s willingness to wave a white flag by allowing him to set foot back in the Leasing.com stadium within days of his shock departure.
Chairman Rob Smethurst, who rightfully received a rapturous reception from Macclesfield fans before the Mansfield game, is now left facing uncomfortable questions as to how and why Savage was in attendance.
However according to a Silkmen News source, Savage’s presence on Saturday was a shock and wholly unexpected by Macclesfield FC staff, including Smethurst himself. If that’s the case, the Chairman was placed in an almost impossible situation after he has shown an abundance of class, respect and humility in the aftermath of Savage’s exit.
Unfortunately, there were no winners on Saturday. And whatever truly went on behind the scenes, I hope some lessons can be learned from both sides going forward.
Savage’s decisions have angered and disappointed many, but this should not detract from the outstanding and tireless contribution he has made to the success of this club, on and off the field.
But when all the dust is settled and the crowds are gone, the things that matter the most are friends and family. Robbie will always have the love of his close knit family, but he let his best pal down on Saturday.