Hancox hat-trick
AFIRST half hattrick from Mitch Hancox helped Macclesfield Town to a superb 4-2 win at Boreham Wood to keep the Silkmen’s season alive.
Though John Askey’s men remained an outside bet for the top five going into Tuesday evening’s game at Southport, with games in hand they are still in the reckoning.
Macc got off to a flyer on Saturday with Anthony Dudley also on the mark for Askey’s men who led 4-1 at the break in Hertfordshire.
Despite a second-half consolation for the home team, it was an impressive win on the road.
There were three changes to the Silkmen side for the game with David Fitzpatrick, Neill Byrne and Kingsley James coming in to the starting XI with Luke Summerfield taking a place on the bench and Chris Holroyd and George Pilkington missing out for the Silkmen.
Macc played with a 4-5-1 system with Hancox and Browne supporting Dudley in attack for the Silkmen and after just six minutes the Bury loanee gave John Askey’s men the lead.
Dudley latched on to a ball from Hancox at the back post to slot Macclesfield ahead.
Unfortunately, the lead didn’t last for long as the hosts leveled on 13 minutes. Andy Halls went in to the book for an alleged handball and from the resulting set-play David Stephens was on hand to smash the home side level.
Macc continued to impress though, and on 25 minutes Rhys Browne could have restored their lead. The Grimsby loanee cut in from the right but couldn’t beat Grant Smith in the home goal.
But Boreham Wood still looked dangerous and Scott Flinders had to make a smart stop to deny Jai Reason.
Moments later, Macc were back ahead. Kingsley James hit a powerful shot that Smith couldn’t hold and Hancox was on hand to prod home and restore the visitors’ lead.
Byrne joined Halls in the book soon after Macclesfield took the lead and Fitzpatrick had to be alert to head clear a dangerous cross as the home side looked to level for a second time.
But the Silkmen were looking very dangerous as an attacking unit and they came close to making it 3-1 on 36 minutes but Browne fired over after a kind set-up.
Just when it looked like Macclesfield would take a 2-1 lead in to the break, the Silkmen effectively killed the game in firsthalf stoppage time.
First Hancox met up a superb Browne cutback to make it 3- 1 before he latched on a Dudley ball and trickled a shot in to the far post to put Macc 4-1 ahead and complete a 19 minute hat- trick.
The visitors started the second-half looking to add to their lead as James shot over from 25 yards.
Boreham Wood were desperate for a way back in to the game and applied substantial pressure to the Silkmen goal in the next period of the game.
In truth, chances were few and far between though and Macc were still looking very threatening on the break with Browne testing Smith with a low shot.
Summerfield and Mackreth replaced Browne and James as boss Askey looked to freshen up his side but it was the home side who got the next goal as Bruno Andrade pulled a goal back for the Hertfordside side.
But it was no more than a consolation for the home side as the Silkmen saw out the remainder of the game in comfortable fashion to secure a 10th away win of the season and keep hopes of a late play-off push alive.