Macc get back
MACCLESFIELD Town returned to winning ways on Saturday after picking up a hard-fought win against Braintree.
Goals from Connor Jennings and Chris Holroyd helped the Silkmen come out on top and earn thre three points at the Moss Rose.
It keeps Macc firmly in the hunt for the National League play-offs, with a number of sides all vying for a place in the top five, and manager John Askey was happy with the win.
“It was good to see Connor and Chris score and hopefully that’s a sign of things to come. It’s pleasing in the end because for all the chances we created it looked like it might be one of those days again,” he said.
“It’s good to get three points and it keeps us in there, giving us a fighting chance. We said at halftime the only thing wrong is that we’re not taking our chances. It can play on your mind.
“When you’re scoring you don’t think about it, but if you stop you begin to think too much. The main thing is we’re creating chances and if you keep creating chances the goals will come eventually.”
Askey made three changes from the side that lost to Barrow, handing starts to Callum Evans, Rhys Browne and Luke Summerfield in place of Andy Halls, Danny Whitaker and Andy Haworth.
Braintree went close after just four minutes when Kyron Farrell’s freekick forced a good save out of Scott Flinders.
Summerfield then threatened for Macc at the other end, finishing off an impressive move for the home side before firing straight at Sam Beasant.
The match quietened down from that point onwards, with any clearcut chances few and far between for the two sides.
Chris Holroyd tried his luck for distance just after the half hour mark, but it was comfortably saved by Beasant.
The best chance of the half fell to Browne just before the interval after he got on the end of a dangerous cross from Evans, but the forward couldn’t keep the effort down and it went over the bar.
It was more of the same from the Silkmen at the start of the second half, as they controlled possession in search of an opener.
Jennings was causing a lot of problems for the Braintree defence, but once again Beasant was on hand to make a save and deny the hosts.
It looked like it might not be Macclesfield’s day though when Kingsley James fired a free-kick over the crossbar.
Jennings ensured that wouldn’t be the case though as he finally made the breakthrough for Macc on 71 minutes.
Mitch Hancox found Jennings in space, who did the rest by firing past the Braintree goalkeeper to make it 1-0 to the home side. That goal put Askey’s side firmly in the driving seat and it didn’t take them long to double their lead.
Holroyd did well to beat Jerome Okimo, before then slotting into the back of the net to grab his team’s second goal of the afternoon.
Macclesfield controlled the game during the clos-
‘When you’re scoring you don’t think about it – if you stop you think too much’
ing stages to ensure they kept the clean sheet, holding on to earn an impressive 2-0 victory.
Macc’s next National League game was set to be a trip to Ten Acres to face Eastleigh as the Express went to print on Tuesday.
Flinders; Evans, Byrne, Pilkington, Fitzpatrick; Browne ( Whitaker 90’), James, Summerfield, Hancox; Holroyd, Jennings. Subs Not Used: Ross, McCombe, Haworth, Norburn.
MACC TEAM: