Turgott’s spot on to sink the Silkmen

MACCLESFIELD’S miserable season shows no signs of improving after they were dumped out by National League side Maidstone United.

The Stones haven’t enjoyed a strong season either, but in recent weeks, new boss Harry Wheeler has managed to start turning his side’s fortunes around and Maidstone improved massively after the break to come from behind to win.

Joint caretaker manager Neil Howarth was despairing of his side after the game saying: “There was only one team who wanted to win the game more in the second half.

“We haven’t been in a position yet this season where we have looked confident about seeing a game out. It is a symptom of being low on confidence and bottom of the league.”

Macclesfield took the lead after 14 minutes. An aimless forward ball from Simon Walton was easily cut out and worked quickly forward.

Walton was left to try to deal with Malachi Napa, but he was unable to stop him squaring the ball into the middle where Ben Stephens was on hand to smash the ball into the net from close range.

The half-time team talk was instrumental for the Stones and afterwards Wheeler said: “There was a little bit of a physical rough-up in there and we needed to shake it up a bit. We needed to be more intense than we had been in the first half.”

Maidstone were level within six minutes of the restart. Walton was fouled a few yards in from the left hand touchline. Most in the ground would have been expecting Jack Powell to cross, but he elected for a shot and he curled the ball in off a post.

Seconds later, Stones came within inches of going in front. Jack Paxman’s corner was met by Walton who thought his header had crossed the line. Play swung to the other end, with Stephens twice denied by on-loan stopper Smith.

Maidstone had the ball in the net, but keeper Kieran O’Hara was fouled in the process and the protests from the home crowd were just dying down when Elliott Romain was nudged in the back inside the box by Jamie Grimes.

Referee Neil Hair pointed to the spot and Blair Turgott squeezed the penalty under O’Hara.