The Silkmen fell to defeat at home to Chorley on Saturday afternoon in the Enterprise National League North, with Isaac Buckley-Ricketts’ opener overshadowed by later second half goals from Mark Ellis and Mike Calveley.
Two enforced changes were made to the side that secured a vital victory away at Darlington on Tuesday night with the suspended Paul Dawson and departing D’Mani Mellor replaced by Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts.
It was the Silkmen who started the brighter despite a goalless first half, with Luke Duffy’s immediate effort on goal inside the first sixty seconds cleared off the line.
Just six minutes later appeals for a Macc penalty were waved away after what looked to be a handball inside the Chorley area, though wasn’t awarded by referee Zach Cunningham.
There was brief concern for Rogan Ravenhill two minutes on when he took a knock to the face as he bravely dived at the feet of an onrushing Chorley forward, though fortunately the Silkmen shot-stopper was able to continue.
James Gale thought he’d scored the opening goal of the game and his seventh in ten appearances when he found a way past Matt Urwin at his near post, though the linesman’s flag denied the forward another one for his tally.
Luke Duffy and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson were also prevented from breaking the deadlock before the break as the former saw a low drive blocked before the latter headed just wide from a corner.
Half time soon came around with the scoreline at a stalemate, the second half would inevitably only result in an improvement for both sides it seemed.
Macc had the ball in the net once again just two minutes after the restart with Borthwick-Jackson again putting his head where it hurt to bundle the ball over the line from another dangerous set piece, though there was judged to be a foul in the build up by the man in the middle, Cunningham.
The breakthrough eventually came on the 50th minute mark when Isaac Buckley-Ricketts lashed home Luke Matheson’s low cross from the right to give the Silkmen the lead with the remainder of the half still to come.
Macc’s celebrations were short lived though as within five minutes, the visitors drew level through Mark Ellis, who was alive and quickest to react to a loose ball in the area following a Chorley corner and turn home an equaliser from close range.
A further penalty appeal was dismissed by Cunningham as Luke Duffy was bundled to the ground inside the Chorley area with just less than twenty minutes to play, though again the officials were uninterested by the home side’s adamance.
Mikey Stone and Kacper Pasiek were introduced with just shy of fifteen minutes to go, as they took the replaces of Josh Kay and Luis Lacey respectively.
Justin Johnson also entered the fray with two minutes of regulation time remaining before a further five were added.
It was at the final minute of the five that the Magpies stole the show, as Jack Moore’s free kick was deflected on to the crossbar, before bouncing down on the goal-line behind Rogan Ravenhill, which Mike Calveley reacted quickest to and slid home from point blank range with effectively the last kick of the game.
Attendance: 3,534
MOTM: Luke Duffy
