Bounce back the aim for York trip
LUKE Summerfield and his Macclesfield team-mates were looking forward to putting the Aldershot defeat behind them with a midweek trip to York.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s clash at Bootham Crescent against a York outfit battling to avoid relegation, Summerfield insisted it was a welcome opportunity to get back to winning ways.
“The Aldershot loss was disappointing because we’d had a brilliant few weeks and a week previously we’d been celebrating reaching Wembley with Champagne,” he said.
“It was a very different story this weekend, but that’s football for you.
“We’ll go again on Tuesday for what is a massive game. We’ll learn from the Aldershot game, but we know how good we have been in the last few weeks and we have to go again on Tuesday.
“We have that many games in hand that nothing is past us.
“We have enough games in hand to be able to get the results to get us back in the play-offs.
“We knew we couldn’t win every single game up to the end of the season. This was a setback but we have a quick opportunity to put it right at York
“It’s a big game for us and a big game for them. We have to bounce back and get the Aldershot result out of the way and go again, trying to get back into those play-offs.”
The clash is a rehearsal for the FA Trophy final at Wembley between the two teams in May – but Summerfield insisted the Silkmen’s sights were trained on a play-off place before the big day in the capital comes into the reckoning.
“We can’t look too far ahead and obviously our main aim is to get into the play-offs, which would be a massive achievement for us.”
MACCLESFIELD Town slumped to their first defeat in six, as John Askey’s side lost 2-0 to an impressive Aldershot Town.
It was a difficult afternoon for the Silkmen who will rue missed opportunities as the gap to the play-off positions now stretches to nine.
Prior to kick off, Askey made three changes to the side that beat Chester 3-2 four days earlier.
George Pilkington, Chris Holroyd and Kingsley James were recalled back into the starting eleven, as the trio were rested for the win at the Deva Stadium.
Despite the negative result, Macclesfield still have three games in hand on Aldershot who occupy the final play-off position, but for the FA Trophy finalists, the result will certainly be of a huge disappointment to Askey.
He said: “We looked a bit lacklustre and they did well.
“From our point of view we were hoping we could perform today but we lacked energy really.”
Yet at a Sunny Moss Rose, the home side started off the better of the two teams in an opening spell that presented very few clear cut opportunities.
The first real chance of the game came when the tricky Rhys Browne managed to find space inbehind the opposition defence and deliver a dangerous cross into the box.
However, the Antiguan international and former Aldershot man was unable to find a team mate and his cross was scrambled away.
The continuing pressure applied by the Silkmen prompted a reaction from the away side, who
As the half came to an end, each side was struggling to assert their authority on the game. The tactical game of chess between each side meant the teams largely cancelled one another out.
Nevertheless, as the teams emerged for the second half the game was met with more determination, as they realised a point would not suit.
The first chance came when the recalled Kingsley James tried his luck from a 35-yard half-volley but his attempt was easily gathered by Jake Cole.
Mensah had his second and probably the best chance of the game shortly after but he could not make a sufficient connection in front of goal as the ball came in from Idris Kanu.
Yet the deadlock was eventually broken after 59 minutes when the effective Mensah, who had troubled Macclesfield all game, guided a lovely through ball to Benyu. The midfielder controlled well and toe-poked his effort