The Silkmen’s penultimate pre-season fixture ended in a draw away at Enterprise National League side Tamworth on Tuesday evening, thanks to an Adan George equaliser.
John Rooney named a side which included three trialists alongside eight other named players in the starting eleven. A further nine existing Macc players were named on the bench, who would each make an appearance after the hour mark.
It was the hosts who began the evening the brighter of the two sides, almost instantly earning themselves two corners in quick succession, though were well handled by the Silkmen backline to avoid going behind early on.
Skipper Paul Dawson led by example for the Silkmen going forward following the initial Tamworth flurry, forcing a smart save from goalkeeper Jasbir Singh before he did just enough to prevent Theo Chapman from giving the Silkmen the lead inside ten minutes, as he attempted to lob the onrushing ‘keeper, though his hopeful attempt bounced narrowly wide of the mark.
Further pressure was applied to the Tamworth defence as trialist wearing nine gained himself half a yard to get a shot off from the edge of the area, though dragged his effort just wide of the far post.
The Lambs responded to Macc’s front-footed approach with an attempt of their own, though their number 29 sliced well wide of the mark on the half-volley.
Carlos Dos Santos and Dawson both provided efforts at the other end in a bid to worry Singh, the former not managing to hit the target with an off-balance header at the back post whilst the latter earned Macc a corner with the ‘keeper pushing the Captain’s dipping drive round the post.
It then required a vital intervention from new centre-half Tom Wilson to prevent the hosts from taking the lead on the half hour mark, timing a sliding challenge to perfection to scoop the ball away from the feet of Tamworth’s number ten, setting to let fly from the edge of the area.
It would be from the resulting corner however that Tamworth managed to get their noses in front, courtesy of Dan Creaney’s header directly from the set piece, providing Macc with the wake up call needed to get themselves back level later on in the game.
Despite the clear need for a response from the Silkmen, the momentum gained by Tamworth following the goal was clear to see before the break as their number 10 attempted to round Christian Dibble, though the shot-stopper did well to close the angle down quickly and ensure the only target available was the external side netting.
Three minutes were added on at the end of the half for a couple of stoppages midway through the first 45, during which Elliot Osborne came close to levelling via a header from a corner, though narrowly missed the target with his glancing effort.
It was Macc who re-emerged the stronger of the two sides, immediately bearing down on the Tamworth goal and almost grabbing a goal in the process, though Dawson’s forceful efforts to bundle the ball over the line were halted a yard or so out.
Ammar Dyer had a better chance to level just after the hour mark as he found himself clean through on goal, though wasn’t able to convert, again denied by Singh in the Lambs’ goal.
Nine changes were made to the Silkmen side moments later with all but Christian Dibble and Hassan Ayub leaving the field and replaced by all named substitutes for the evening, Lincoln McFayden, Elliot Osborne, Borthwick-Jackson, Adan George, Luke Duffy, Fin Shrimpton, George Wilson, Sam Heathcote and Jon Ustabasi.
Luke Duffy was the first of the substitutes to try his luck and was unlucky not to get the Silkmen back on level terms within minutes of his reintroduction, letting fly from the edge of the area with an effort which looked destined for the far corner, getting only further away from Singh who did incredibly well to leap to his right and hold on to Duffy’s drive at full stretch.
It took just ten minutes more for Macc to find a breakthrough and reap the rewards of their extensive efforts to pull level as Lincoln McFayden exchanged a one-two with Elliot Osborne before feeding in to Adan George, who turned on a dime before firing low and hard in to the far bottom corner to equalise with a little over ten minutes to play.
Cameron Borthwick-Jackson almost made it two goals in two minutes for the Silkmen, heading just over from Duffy’s free kick with all the momentum now with Macc in the closing stages.
Jon Ustabasi led the charge from the front late on, though was prevented from getting a shot off twice in quick succession at the vital moment. Three additional minutes were indicated moments later, midway through which Osborne headed just wide from a corner before referee Jamie O’Connor signalled the end of the contest with the score level.
The Silkmen have just one pre-season test remaining against FC United of Manchester at the Leasing.com Stadium on Saturday afternoon ahead of our season opener away at Marine AFC on Saturday 8th August.
Attendance: 473
MOTM: Elliot Osborne
Sponsored by Bollington Dental Practice
