The Silkmen solidified a place in the Enterprise National League North play-offs on Saturday afternoon with a smash and grab 2-1 victory away at Merthyr Town
John Rooney made four changes to the side that fell to defeat at the Leasing.com Stadium on Easter Monday against Chester. Lewis Fensome, Rollin Menayese, Kacper Pasiek and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts all returned to the starting line-up in place of Luke Matheson, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Luis Lacey and Luke Duffy.
It was a relatively quiet beginning to proceedings besides a half chance for Captain Paul Dawson inside the opening 120 seconds, though could only lash his effort from a tight angle wide of the near post via the side netting.
Lewis Fensome was the next to have a substantial opportunity for the Silkmen almost twenty minutes in to the game, acrobatically meeting James Edmondson’s in-swung corner, though saw the speculative effort well blocked by a group of white shirts ordered back for the Macc corner.
Sam Heathcote was first to enter the book for the Silkmen in the 25th minute for a shirt pull on the half way line before a brief break in play owing to Merthyr’s Will Squires requiring treatment.
Heathcote then made a successful last-ditch block just after the game had resumed beyond the half hour mark as Lee Lucas saw an opening to set his sights.
The centre halve was less fortunate with his next challenge though just before the break as he was shown a second yellow and given his marching orders as Lewys Twamley led a Merthyr break at pace, which Sam abruptly brought to a halt, though was judged to have done so illegally by referee Matthew Norton, leaving the Silkmen with ten men for the best part of a remaining 50 minutes.
Two minutes were added at the end of the first half before Norton paused proceedings as both sides headed to the dressing rooms to regroup with the scoreline still goalless.
Despite being a man down, it was the Silkmen who started the second half the brighter, with appeals for a penalty flourishing within the first five minutes of the restart as Josh Kay’s low drive appeared to strike the hand of a Merthyr player on it’s way through a crowd of bodies inside the area, though referee Norton dismissed the claims.
John Rooney opted to make the Silkmen’s first change of the game just less than twenty minutes in to the second half as Luke Duffy took the place of James Gale in a tactical switch at the top end of the field.
It was moments later though that the home side made full use and took full advantage of their extra man, opening up a gap on the edge of the box for Tom Handley to unleash an unstoppable strike which found the far top corner in the 66th minute.
Although the Silkmen were now both a goal and man down, it didn’t interfere with their drive and motivation to take all three points from their visit to South Wales, as Josh Kay found himself in on goal, driving at goalkeeper Jaimie Cogman, before calmly placing beyond him to level proceedings just three minutes later.
With their tails up and all the odds stacked against them, the spirit shown by the Silkmen meant it seemed inevitable that another goal would come before the end to delight the travelling fans as Merthyr collectively dropped deeper for the closing stages.
Sensing a victory was on the cards, Rooney made his second change of the day, bringing Anjola Popoola on in place of Isaac Buckley-Ricketts with ten minutes to play.
It was then four minutes before the end that a break started by Luke Duffy’s headed clearance from a Merthyr corner quickly was set alight by James Edmondson who drove with the ball to create a two-on-two scenario with Popoola along side him, bearing down on the Merthyr goal with their two quickest responders up against the attacking duo, who interchanged passes seamlessly before Popoola eventually played Edmondson in behind with an inch perfect ball for the creative midfielder to sweep home beyond Cogman and swing the game in the Silkmen’s favour late on.
A further two changes were made by Rooney before the end with Luis Lacey and Carlos Dos Santos taking the places of Josh Kay and James Edmondson respectively as we entered six minutes of additional time.
It took everyone and everything from the Silkmen to keep the scoreline in their favour in the dying seconds with Merthyr unwilling to accept their fate, though the boys in blue held firm to secure three points and a place in the Enterprise National League North play-offs, sending the Silkmen faithful home happy for their long, but worthwhile voyage back to Macclesfield.
Attendance: 1,284
MOTM: Rollin Menayese
