Goals from either side of the interval from Josh Parker and Alfie Potter condemned The Silkmen to a first-ever Enterprise National League North defeat at the hands of Oxford City this afternoon.
After enjoying phenomenal hospitality at the MGroup Stadium, the travelling contingent afforded their heroes a rapturous reception – as the cauldron of noise that they created provided an inspiring stage from which Macc unquestionably started the better of the two sides.
With barely two minutes on the clock, Sean Etaluku worked his magic down the right-hand side, after which the ball broke to Danny Whitehead – who was unlucky to see his low drive fly narrowly wide of Sam Lewis’ far post.
Macc continued to assert their authority within the opening exchanges, and were desperately unlucky not to take the lead when D’Mani Mellor’s innovative effort across the face of goal spun inches wide of Lewis’ far upright.
John Rooney’s side continued to enjoy the bulk of possession, yet Oxford grew into the game and took the lead in the 21st minute when Tom Scott’s piercing through ball found Parker in acres of space, and he calmly slotted the ball past the advancing Max Dearnley to break the deadlock.
Opening the scoring undeniably acted as a catalyst for the home side, and just two minutes later, Jack Bearne’s mesmerising run down the left-hand side saw him cut inside and fire a stinging low drive into the palms of Dearnley.
By this point, The Hoops sensed blood and could well have doubled their lead in the 26th minute when tenacious play from Zac McEachran resulted in the ball breaking for Potter, who was unlucky to see his fizzing effort fly marginally wide of Dearnley’s far post.
With the pendulum undeniably swinging in Oxford’s favour, Macc fought back and in the 33rd minute, Josef Yarney’s brilliant diagonal ball found Luke Duffy in space on the left-hand side. After nonchalantly controlling the ball, Duffy produced a tantalising ball towards the far post which agonisingly evaded the advancing Mellor.
As the game edged towards the interval, the visitors began to turn the screw in the hope of restoring parity.
Duffy and Etaluku both proved to be menacing on either flank, yet their efforts proved to be in vain as the Oxford defence resolutely repelled everything that was thrown at them.
The second period started in much the same manner as the first had ended – with the visitors largely dictating both the possession and the tempo.
Yet it was to be the hosts who would double their lead in the 49th minute, as Scott’s teasing ball to the back post was confidently dispatched by Potter.
Within minutes, John Rooney introduced Isaac Buckley-Ricketts and Regan Griffiths into the fray, and there can be no doubt that the change injected the lads with a renewed sense of defiance.
After Dearnley had made another smart stop at his near post from Potter, Macc began to play the attacking, expansive brand of football that they have become renowned for.
Just after the hour mark, Yarney found space on the left, and his pinpoint cross was sublimely met by Duffy – who was unlucky to see his glancing effort turned around the far post by Lewis.
Despite Macc’s superiority in terms of possession, Oxford remained a potent threat, and this was exemplified in the 68th minute when Potter’s surging run saw him find Jacob Roddy whose venomous low drive from the edge of the area was well held by Dearnley at the near post.
The Silkmen gallantly sought a way back into the game, and in the 70th minute were gravely unlucky not to reduce the arrears when Duffy’s enticing corner from the left was met by the head of Yarney – yet he could do no more than direct it straight at the thankful Lewis.
Luis Lacey and Lewis Fensome were then added to the Silkmen ranks, as the drama began to intensify.
Shortly after their introduction, Griffiths found space on the edge of the box and produced a sensational low drive which Lewis managed to steer around his left-hand post with a breathless, and ultimately, match-winning save.
Despite the fact that Oxford retained their two-goal lead, Griffiths’ dramatic effort ignited the Silkmen faithful – who began to back their side with renewed passion and vigour.
Their defiance paid dividends in the 78th minute, when Lacey directed a pinpoint cross into the box and Buckley-Ricketts’ emphatic first-time volley left Lewis stranded.
At this point we had a contest again, as the Silkmen faithful willed their side on as if their lives depended on it.
A vibrant sense of anticipation consumed the MGroup Stadium, despite the fact that Bearne was then to blast a predatory drive over Dearnley’s bar with little more than ten minutes left on the clock.
Duffy and Isaac Westendorf then took turns to forego gilt-edged chances to add to the scoreline at either end, before Rooney made his last throw of the dice by introducing Sam Heathcote into the action just before a minimum of seven additional minutes was signalled.
Fensome and Buckley-Ricketts both saw speculative efforts saved by Lewis in the dying stages, yet it proved to be too little too late as Macc suffered their first away defeat since the start of January.
In another evocative show of unity, the wonderful travelling Silkmen fans gave the lads a magnificent ovation at the end of the game, as we all now turn our attention to the midweek trip to Southport this coming Tuesday evening.
