Ironside rescues
SKY BET
LEAGUE TWO MACCLESFIELD .............. 1 OLDHAM ........................... 1
JOE Ironside’s 90th minute penalty salvaged a point after a dramatic final ten minutes at the Moss Rose.
Oldham took the lead in the 84th minute but Ironside’s equaliser, after David Wheater’s sending off for handball, ensured the points were shared.
The best chances of the first half fell to the Silkmen and they should’ve taken the lead in the 17th minute.
After Harris’s dispossession, Ironside squared the ball to Gnahoua who was through on goal, however his touch let him down and the ball was scrambled over for a goal kick.
League debutant Reice Charles-Cook had a relatively easy half between the sticks, Dave Jones’ shot from outside the box was his only real test which he gathered with ease.
Shortly after in the 33rd minute, Mohamad Sylla came close for the visitors, but his dipping volley from inside the box landed on the roof of the net to the relief of Macclesfield.
Again it was Gnahoua who came closest to scoring, he almost finished a speedy counter attack with a curling shot but Wood’s pulled off a terrific save to tip his effort onto the post.
Just before half time, David Wheater’s last ditch tackle denied Corey O’Keeffe from opening the scoring as he raced into the box bearing down on goal.
The first half ended goalless but Oldham looked the most likely to change that after the break. Smith latched onto Horsfall’s sloppy pass and curled an effort towards goal, but Charles-Cook saved strongly and flicked the ball onto the post.
Macc soaked up an intense period of Oldham pressure as they looked to hit the visitors on the counter attack.
Danny Whitakers’s side had penalty appeals turned down when O’Keeffe was charged down in the area by substitute N’Guessan.
Jonny Smith was the Latics dangerman throughout the second half and he forced Charles-Cook into a good save from 30 yards out in the 82nd minute.
And it was the elusive Smith who did open the scoring with six minutes of normal time to play.
His shot from the edge of the box flew through a crowd of players and bounced over the Macc keeper and into the back of the net.
Danny pushed his side on for the equaliser and it came in the most dramatic of fashions.
Nathan Cameron knocked the ball down to Ironside with just two outfield Oldham players on the line, he fired at Wheater from close range and the ball was cleared.
However after some deliberation, the referee sent off the Oldham captain for handball and Ironside was given the responsibilities to take the penalty.
He made no mistake in rolling the ball down the middle of the goal for his 2nd goal in three games for the Silkmen.
With eight minutes of added time, there was still plenty of time for Macc to get a winner against the ten men of Oldham. It very nearly came in the 94th minute when Jacob Blyth hit his shot into ‘keeper Woods’ hands when he should’ve opened his Macclesfield account.