Our Ladies Team commenced their pre-season programme yesterday, and earned an encouraging 2 – 2 draw against Tier 7 side, Stockport County.
The home side started brightly and carved out numerous chances in the opening exchanges with wingers Courtney Briggs and Nicole Ronan looking particularly menacing.
This paid dividends in the 28th minute when Briggs drove down the right-hand side, before cutting the ball back to Kayleigh Newman, who clinically finished from close range.
Buoyed by scoring the opening goal, Macc went in search of a second and were desperately unlucky not to claim it when debutant Brooke Smith released Ebony Stewart, yet her strike was ruled out for offside.
The visitors then started to grow into the game and restored parity just before the interval after a well-worked passage of play.
Stockport started the second period firmly in the ascendancy and would have taken the lead if it wasn’t for some phenomenal saves from Ella Woodman.
Substitute Martha Smith soon came into her own however, as she began to dictate play for the home side.
Kayleigh Newman then created space thirty yards from goal and was desperately unlucky to see her venomous drive cannon off the crossbar.
For a time, it appeared to be one-way traffic as Macc laid siege to the Stockport goal.
The home side got their just rewards mid-way through the second period when Ronan forced a Macc corner, and this landed perfectly for Briggs to convert her first goal for the Club.
Further chances followed, yet Macc were not able to extend their lead.
Stockport proved to be resourceful and continued to work hard, pressing right until the very end.
Right at the death, the scores were levelled for a final time when the visitors won the ball back in a dangerous area and clinically dispatched a low drive across the face of the goal.
Overall, it proved to be a very worthwhile outing for our Ladies Team, and their performance showed much promise for the future.
Up next is their annual charity fixture against Kick4Alzheimers next Sunday here at the Leasing.com Stadium.
Macclesfield FC: Woodman, Huck, Gloor, Rushton, Cameron (C), Smith, Yau, Newman, Ronan, Griffiths, Briggs.
Subs: Stewart, Smart, Coumbaros, Carlson
Goals: Newman ’28, Briggs ’65
Player of the Match: Beth Cameron
