Proud Cup run ends with Oxford defeat

EMIRATES FA CUP SECOND RND REPLAY OXFORD............................ 3 MACCLESFIELD .............. 0

MACCLESFIELD Town manager John Askey insisted he was proud of what his players achieved in the FA Cup after they were finally knocked out of the competition following a 3-0 defeat at Oxford United.

The Silkmen defied the odds to reach the second round stage, and managed to take Oxford to a replay at the Kassam Stadium.

The League One side proved to be too much though, with Ryan Taylor, Joe Rothwell and Kane Hemmings getting the goals to overcome their opponents, while Mitch Hancox was also shown a red card for Macc.

It brought to an end a Macclesfield cup run that saw them knock out fellow League One side Walsall away from home, and Askey paid tribute to his players.

“I was disappointed with the goal we conceded to an open player in our 18-yard box but we saw the effort that the players showed, and that’s all you can ask for really,” he told the club’s official website. “I was happy to only lose by three in the end. It could have been a lot more, but it’s the FA Cup, we’re never going to win it and our priority is the league and the FA Trophy.”

Macclesfield were reduced to ten men just before half-time when the score was 1-0, and Askey felt that Hancox’s dismissal played a big part in the outcome.

“With the sending off coming so early, it changed the game completely. Once it happened it ruined the match,” he said.