Preparations end at the Rose
MOSS Rose was the venue for the most anticipated of County’s pre-season friendlies, the away trip to local rivals Macclesfield Town.
The Hatters, sporting their new Robinson’s Unicorn sponsored white, black and orange alternate away kit, went into the game on the back of two wins.
County started brightly but before the game had formed any kind of pattern, Macclesfield winger Jack Mackreth shot down the right flank before whipping in a cross to Chris Holroyd, who took full advantage and placed the ball past Ben Hinchcliffe in the County goal to give Town the lead inside three minutes.
The next fifteen minutes were relatively lacklustre with neither side making much headway.
The game came to life again on 22 minutes when Town’s Holroyd latched onto a ball forward but scuffed his shot across the face of goal.
From then on in, Macclesfield had the majority of the possession, coming close through Jack Sampson’s effort which thundered into the crossbar before being cleared back to the halfway line.
Then began the second half and the flurry of substitutions which followed. The Silkmen were the first to come close as substitute Chris Sutherland had his effort saved off the line by County left-back Scott Duxbury.
County then recovered and almost levelled as Danny Lloyd, despite being heavily pressured, was able to get a shot away – but over the bar.
Duxbury was next up to take aim at the Macclesfield goal, but his shot too thundered over the crossbar.
A number of personnel changes slowed the pace of the game until ex-Hatter Danny (H) Rowe charged at the County defence and put the ball into the back of the net to extend Town’s lead.
Spencer and Odejayi came on for Marsden and Amis in the last quarter of an hour and the change added something to County’s play, with Branagan saving to deny Montrose and then Thomas in quick succession.
Spencer was unlucky not to score as he broke into the box on the back of an Odejayi flick-on and fired past Branagan, but his shot pinged off both posts before being cleared for a County corner.
This was County’s best spell of the match but pressure was not turned into goals – shots from Montrose and Rule both close, but not on target.
And so ended County’s last pre-season friendly of 2016/17.
Next up is the first home league match of the season against Alfreton Town at Edgeley Park on Saturday 6th August at 3pm.