The Silkmen strolled to a 4-0 victory over Kings Lynn Town at the Leasing.com Stadium on Saturday afternoon via a first half Luke Duffy header, an own goal and second half strikes from D’Mani Mellor and James Gale.
John Rooney made four changes to the side that fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat to Brentford in the Fourth Round of the Emirates FA Cup on Monday night. New signing Rogan Ravenhill, Kacper Pasiek, Luke Matheson and Josh Kay all entered the fray with Max Dearnley, Lewis Fensome and Sam Heathcote, the latter two of whom missing out through injury and suspension respectively.2
There was an early threat from the visitors via Terry Bondo who flashed an early effort across the face of Ravenhill’s goal, though didn’t trouble the Silkmen defence as the ball bounce harmlessly through and out the other side of the area. Josh Kay responded positively for the Silkmen with a low driven effort which was pushed round the post by Chapman with fifteen minutes on the clock.
Kacper Pasiek came closest to opening the scoring for the Silkmen with an acrobatic effort inside the area following a corner not dealt with by the visitors, but flicked his bicycle kick over Chapman’s crossbar. A half chance fell kindly at the other end for Morgan Williams just inside the Macc area after Kacper Pasiek was dispossessed, but Ravenhill was on hand to make a smart stop at his near post on the 20th minute mark.
Simone Troso was first to enter the book as Luke Matheson was hauled to the ground on the edge of the area as he made inroads towards the danger zone. Edmondson’s subsequent free kick stung the palms of Chapman, but was otherwise dealt with by the Linnets.
Luke Duffy’s in-swinging corner almost caught Chapman off guard as it looked as though it may sneak straight in at the near post, though the goalkeeper recovered well to spare his blushes.
Isaac Buckley-Ricketts brought the ball under his spell fantastically well from Ravenhill’s goal kick, though Chapman smothered before the winger could follow up from his excellent first touch.
The Silkmen took the lead on 35 minutes as Elliot Osborne’s well weighted dink found Luke Matheson on the byline, who pulled back for Luke Duffy to glance home at the near post!
Duffy then played his part in what was very nearly a second as his corner was met by Paul Dawson, who saw his powerful header cleared off the line before Kacper Pasiek fired just over from the edge of the area.
Pasiek then had an opportunity to drive at the Kings Lynn defence before seeing a deep cross tipped on by Chapman in to the path of Matheson, whose first time volley was well blocked by Troso.
From nothing the Silkmen very nearly doubled their lead on the brink of the break as Paul Dawson caught Chapman off his line, who scrambled back towards his own goal from a free kick inside Macc’s half, as the ball dropped just too late on to the roof of the net.
One minute was added at the end of the half before the teams went in to the break separated by Duffy’s header just over ten minutes prior.
It was a lively start to the second half as the Silkmen almost immediately saw a shot cleared off the line as there was no rest up with the home side having every intention of getting themselves out of sight.
A second wasn’t far away as Isaac Buckley-Ricketts picked out Luke Matheson, charging clean through on the overlap and taking the ball in his stride before prodding beyond the onrushing Chapman via a sizeable deflection in to the far corner, officially given as an own goal.
Isaac Buckley-Ricketts was quick to intercept a stray pass back, before rounding Chapman but could only find the side netting from an acute angle. It was all Macc after the restart as Luke Duffy almost added his second and Macc’s third, firing just wide of Champan’s far post from the edge of the area.
Luke Matheson appeared to be tripped inside the area as the Silkmen continued their search for a third, but was instead booked for alleged simulation just after the hour mark.
The Silkmen then had three shots blocked in quick succession from Luke Matheson, Josh Kay and Kacper Pasiek as they refused to let up in their bid to put the game beyond all doubt.
The third eventually came with just less than twenty minutes to play as Matheson once again swooped in behind the Linnets defence, beating Chapman to the ball, allowing D’Mani Mellor to sweep home in to an empty net.
Two substitutions quickly followed the Silkmen’s third as goalscorer D’Mani Mellor and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson made way for James Gale and Rollin Menayese respectively.
A further two substitutions ensued soon after as Mikey Stone and Carlos Dos Santos replaced Luke Duffy and Josh Kay with just over ten minutes to play.
New shot stopper Rogan Ravenhill ensured of his first clean sheet in Silkmen colours as he bravely denied Terry Bondo with his torso at point blank range.
A fourth was added six minutes from time as James Gale took the ball on the chest neatly before lashing beyond Chapman to further increase the deficit.
Three minutes were added at the end of the regulation 90 before a further three points were secured for the Silkmen in their push for promotion in the latter stages of the Enterprise National League North season.
Attendance: 3,151
MOTM: Luke Matheson
