The Silkmen marked their return to league action at the Leasing.com Stadium with three points in the first home game of the 2026/27 season against Radcliffe
John Rooney named an unchanged side from our previous two fixtures, with Paul Dawson, Josh Kay and Tom Wilson all missing out through suspension.
After a scrappy start to proceedings, Christian Dibble was the first of the two goalkeepers called in to action to deny Michael Nottingham from giving the visitors an early lead via his outstretched left foot.
Nottingham wasn’t able to continue having taken a knock in the process of his recent effort, requiring Josh Seary to step in as his replacement after just eighteen minutes.
Radcliffe were forced in to a second early change less than ten minutes later as Tom Davies was unable to continue and following the introduction of new regulations, was replaced by Brad Jackson sixty seconds later.
Jon Ustabasi produced Macc’s first real effort in anger on goal, prompting Tom Donaghy in to his first save of the afternoon in the Radcliffe goal, parrying away as far as Ammar Dyer, whose follow up came to nothing.
George Wilson was next to let fly following some neat footwork from Adan George, who set the ball back in to the path of the central midfielder whose left footed strike continued to rise over Donaghy’s crossbar.
Rio Clegg looked to capitalise on a loose ball just outside the Macc area, though blazed his first time effort over the bar before three minutes of additional time were indicated.
There was nothing to separate the sides at the break with the scoreline goalless at the half way point, with no changes made by either Manager at the break with the sides as they were for the second period.
An Radcliffe corner not long after the restart threatened to cause the Macc back line issues, though managed to clear before Adan George was held by back his shirt, resulting in a booking for Danny Greenfield.
Christian Dibble was quick off his line to close the angle for Jordan Hulme who’d beaten the offside trap, though couldn’t beat Dibble who made himself big enough to make two important stops in quick succession from Radcliffe’s number nine and Captain.
Elliot Osborne came the closest of anyone so far to breaking the deadlock just before the hour mark with a sweetly struck effort which pinged back off the far post and just out of the onrushing Adan George’s reach for a rebound.
Rio Clegg then looked to have got in behind the Macc defence with a well timed run, though couldn’t get beyond the last two mean back, Heathcote and Borthwick-Jackson, who combined well to dissolve the move.
Down the other end, Ammar Dyer stung the palms of Donaghy, who could only parry as far as Adan George whose reactionary first time follow up looped over the crossbar.
In a real end to end second half, Rio Clegg forced a fingertip save from Christian Dibble at his near post, testing him with a fierce half-volley which Macc’s number one did well to keep out.
In a reoccurring theme of back and forth chances, the Silkmen went down the other end in a rapid counter attacking fashion, led by Jon Ustabasi who drove at the heart of the Radcliffe defence before laying off for Duffy to his right whose first time attempt was denied by the feet of Donaghy.
John Rooney made his first change of the afternoon with just over fifteen minutes to play as Luis Lacey replaced Elliot Osborne.
Lacey had an immediate impact on the action, introduced in the right wing position and delivering a well weighted cross towards Adan George, whose off balance header was comfortably collected by Donaghy.
It was the visitors who found a breakthrough though with Jordan Hulme’s initial half-volley from a tight angle beaten away by Dibble before Jon Taylor’s rebound, hit downwards in to the turf bounced up and over Dibble and in to sink Silkmen spirits with twelve minutes to play
Macc refused to roll over and instead rallied, levelling less than two minutes later as Lincoln McFayden made his way in behind the Radcliffe defence along the byline before cutting back for Luke Duffy who slid home the rebound from close range.
Introduced with eight minutes to play was Danny Elliott, continuing to make his return to fitness from long injury and in doing so, took the place of Adan George for the closing stages.
The Silkmen almost turned the game on its head with momentum on their side as Sam Heathcote’s header back across goal from a corner was cleared off the line, though play was halted for a foul in the build up.
Danny Elliott then almost brought the moment he’d been dreaming of in to a reality on his return to action at the Leasing.com Stadium, heading narrowly over from Luis Lacey’s cross, evidently frustrated not to have found the net.
With less than 100 seconds remaining of regulation time, Lincoln McFayden and Luke Duffy repeated the same feat as they did for the first, finding the winner late on with McFayden’s cross met by Duffy between the posts who smashed home from close range to swing the contest in the Silkmen’s favour at a crucial time.
Four minutes were added at the end of the afternoon, midway through which Hassan Ayub was introduced in place of Jon Ustabasi before the Silkmen managed to hold on to the result to secure all three points and maintain our maximum return from the opening two games of the season.
Attendance: 2,321 (316)
MOTM: Christian Dibble
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