Macclesfield braved the adverse conditions with a dominant victory over Ramsbottom to move six points clear at the top of the NPL West Division yesterday.
The game was in jeopardy after heavy overnight snowfall, but an army of volunteers swept the snow off the playing surface and got the game on in the league’s only tie that the weather hadn’t taken over.
In a first half that offered very little in the form of chances, the Silkmen had the better of the them as James Berry went close early on after good work from on-loan Buxton man James Hardy.
However, 20 minutes in the hosts did take the lead in fine fashion as Hardy was involved again twisting and turning in the area before laying the ball back to Nicky Maynard whose low, driven shot found the bottom corner.
The last real chance of the first half fell the way of Macc as Hardy continued to dictate play in the middle of the park.
He found Neil Kengni on the counter, but the former Marine man curled his effort just wide of the top corner.
Macclesfield came out for the second half in a similar fashion and nearly doubled the lead as James Berry’s corner found skipper Laurent Mendy who scuffed a first-time volley.
Moments later, the Silkmen did double their advantage as Berry got a birthday goal as he drove forward on his own before rounding the keeper and slotting into an empty net despite a last-ditch attempt to clear.
The league leaders found a third 20 minutes from time as Berry went on one of his trademark driving runs before feeding in Man of the Match Kengni who slotted the ball calmly past Turner in The Rams’ goal.
Macc showed no signs of letting up and netted their fourth moments later as Kengni’s testing ball into the middle was turned into his own net by Ramsbottom defender Radcliffe.
James Berry came close on a number of occasions late on to grab that birthday brace as what could only be described as the perfect team goal being denied by Turner.
The former Altrincham man also netted again in added time as he dragged a shot inch wide of the far post after being picked out by substitute Mark Duffy.
Attention now turns to our trip to Clitheroe on Saturday in our last league game before Christmas.
By Ben Leah.
