The Silkmen slipped to a 2-0 defeat away at Chester on Tuesday evening, via goals either side of the break from Dylan Mottley-Henry and Tom Leak.
John Rooney named a side with two changes from the one that fell to an equally disappointing home defeat to Buxton on Boxing Day. Danny Elliott was rested after picking up a knock late on last time out, whilst Luke Duffy was rotated following his start four days prior. Sam Heathcote came back in to the fold at centre half and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts was handed an opportunity to impress from the off too.
The Silkmen started the Cheshire derby the brighter of the two sides, almost immediately calling Chester goalkeeper George Murray-Jones in to action via a well-struck Sam Heathcote free kick, which the man between the posts could only parry in to the path of Isaac Buckley-Ricketts, who unfortunately was caught by surprise and squandered the early opportunity.
Macc continued to apply pressure on the hosts throughout the opening phase of the game, D’Mani Mellor’s deflected header was gathered by Murray-Jones before the Chester number one produced an impressive stop to prevent Lewis Fensome from opening the scoring midway through the half from a glancing header, which was pushed round the far post at the vital moment.
Despite having controlled the tempo of the first half an hour of proceedings, somewhat against the run of play it was the home side who opened the scoring on 34 minutes after Fin Shrimpton found half a yard of pace to get beyond his man and square for the onrushing Dylan Mottley-Henry, who met the low ball in with a first time effort at full stretch, which had just enough on it to beat Max Dearnley.
Chester very nearly made it two in as many minutes as Fin Roberts cut inside from the left flank and unleashed an effort bound for the near post, though was deflected on it’s way through a crowd of bodies and needed to be tipped round the woodwork by Dearnley.
Isaac Buckley-Ricketts had a chance to pull the Silkmen level just before the break, as he gambled on making a darting run down the left wing, which was rewarded with a neat through ball from Danny Whitehead, though couldn’t convert as he ventured in to the area with the ball somewhat stuck underneath his feet and unable to get the desired connection on his attempt on goal.
Two minutes were added at the end of the half before the Silkmen no doubt were provided with a few home truths at the break by John Rooney and his coaching staff ahead of what needed to be a responsive second period.
Two changes were made at the interval by Rooney and co. as Luke Duffy and Max Woltman took the places of Justin Johnson and Danny Whitehead as Macc looked to turn the game on its head in the remaining 45 minutes.
Woltman was a lively introduction to the affair and had plenty of the ball in the early stages of the second half, before finding space to get a shot off ten minutes in, but couldn’t keep his wayward effort down.
Nathan Woodthorpe attempted the spectacular in a bid to double Chester’s lead on 63 minutes, serving up a teasing cross from the left, which was looped in and bound for the middle of the Macclesfield penalty area, almost hanging in mid air before dropping behind Dearnley’s crossbar and away from danger.
A further two changes were made on 65 minutes as Luke Matheson and Carlos Dos Santos replaced Lewis Fensome and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts respectively, in the midst of which Sam Heathcote took up his place as an additional striker for the closing stages.
Substitute Matheson, eager to make an impression on the evening, made a charging run down the right having beaten his man for pace before crossing deep for the lingering Heathcote at the back post, though wasn’t able to direct his headed effort on target.
Regan Griffiths was also introduced with fifteen minutes to play for a cautioned James Edmondson to ensure Chester weren’t given a man advantage in what was thought to be a tense finish to the occasion.
It wasn’t to be however for the Silkmen as Tom Leak reacted quickest to a loose ball from a deep Chester corner to prod just far enough over the line despite Dawson’s last ditch attempt to clear, and extend the home side’s lead to two with as many minutes to play.
Five minutes were added on at the end of the regulation 90 within which Luke Duffy came closest to pulling one back for Macc, catching a half-volley sweetly on the edge of the area, which had Murray-Jones scrambling but wasn’t required to keep the audacious effort out as it flew beyond his near post.
The Silkmen have now suffered back to back defeats for the first time this season and will look to amends when they travel to Darlington for our first Enterprise National North fixture of 2026 on Saturday afternoon.
Attendance: 2,830 (555 MFC)
