Macc’s defiance
SKY BET LEAGUE TWO MACCLESFIELD .............. 3 CREWE ALEXANDRA .... 3
REECE Cole’s stunning first goal for The Silkmen gave Macclesfield Town a share of the spoils, in an entertaining Cheshire derby at the Moss Rose at the weekend.
In front of an electric atmosphere, the visitors took the lead after just three minutes when Jordan Bowery broke the offside trap, before confidently guiding the ball over the advancing Kieran O’Hara and into the empty net.
Reminiscent of the last home fixture against Oldham Athletic, the Silkmen players joined with the Moss Rose faithful to defiantly fight back.
Scott Wilson and Reece Cole both went close for the home site in the immediate aftermath of going behind and their expansive style of play was proving to be something which The Railwaymen could not contain at times.
There was an urgency in Macc’s play which was indicative of a group of players who are giving their all for the cause and Sol Campbell’s men would get their reward on the quarter-hour mark when Scott Wilson tenaciously created an opportunity for himself six yards out - before slipping the ball past Ben Garratt in the Crewe goal.
After parity had been restored, the visitors looked to regain their advantage straight away.
Callum Ainley hit a delicate twenty-five yard effort which brushed the outside of the far post, before O’Hara made a phenomenal save from George Ray’s pinpoint header shortly after.
Whilst the home side went on to dominate play, Crewe remained a potent threat on the counter and this was exemplified on 21 minutes when Chris Porter created space down the left, before his ferocious drive was deflected wide of goal by Miles Welch-Hayes.
A lull in the frantic tempo then followed and a war of attrition briefly ensued, before Porter was adjudged to have been brought down by O’Hara in the penalty area and then he stepped up to roll the resultant spot-kick home in front of the Star Lane End faithful.
The goal catalysed the visitors, who proceeded to look for a third strike in the quickest time possible.
Porter had a bullet header spectacularly saved by O’Hara, before Wilson created space down the left and found Michael Rose on the edge of the area - who was unlucky to see his low drive well saved by Garratt.
Three minutes after the restart, Wilson proved to be the danger man once more – as he seized on a poor back-pass, before clipping the ball just wide of the far post.
Two minutes later Paul Green stormed down the right, before cutting inside and unleashing a venomous drive which home debutant Zak Jules bravely lay his body on the line to block.
Green then hit a speculative effort over O’Hara’s crossbar from twenty yards out, before the Manchester United loanee made his third top drawer save of the contest when he athletically tipped Green’s low drive through a crowded area around the far post.
Liandro Martis was then introduced to add a devastating amount of pace to the Macc forward line, before the Star Lane End was in raptures once more as The Silkmen equalised for a second time.
A corner from the right was swung into the box and Crewe ‘keeper Garratt seemed to have it under control - yet the ball was bundled over the line thanks to copious amounts of pressure from Nathan Cameron.
With just over fifteen minutes left on the clock, the Moss Rose crowd were fervently in the belief that a winner was only a