McMahon stands by Kelleher after error

MACCLESFIELD head coach Daryl McMahon refused to blame skipper Fiacre Kelleher for the error that let in Carlisle substitute Ryan Loft for a late winner.

Kelleher’s clearance was charged down by the tall striker and Loft cruised through on his own to calmly slip the ball past advancing goalkeeper Owen Evans for the goal that gave Carlisle three vital points in their fight to escape the relegation zone.

Theo Archibald had early put the away side ahead, before Harry McKirdy restored parity.

McMahon said: “Kells has been outstanding all season. He’s a great leader and he’s made a mistake.”

The Silkmen boss added: “I’m very proud of a terrific performance. We were solid and played some really good stuff. We had numerous chances.

“The two goals were errors by us. The equaliser was a freak goal really and we totally dominated the first half.”

The Silkmen went in front in the 25th minute after Collin’s fine stop from a Joe Ironside shot proved all in vain as Archibald regained possession to hammer a shot past the Carlisle goalkeeper from just inside the area.

Macclesfield should have gone two-up five minutes later when the referee spotted a hand ball by Mike Jones in the Carlisle defensive wall at a free-kick. Ironside’s spot-kick lacked pace and Collin was able to scramble across his goal to save.

There was a slice of fortune about Carlisle’s equaliser. Nathan Thomas’s corner low to the near post struck a defender on the line and rebounded back off the head of McKirdy into the net. By comparison Macclesfield’s luck was out in the 63rd minute when Ben Stephens nodded home from inside the six-yard box after Archibald’s shot had struck the bar, only for it to be ruled offside.

Loft made it 2-1 to Carlisle in the 82nd minute when he charged down a clearance by Kelleher, strode clear, before slipping the ball wide of the advancing Evans.

Carlisle assistant boss Gavin Skelton admitted that keeper Collin’s penalty save which, had it gone in, would have made it 2-0, was “massive”.

Skelton said: “If they had scored it would have been a major task to come back. We got one back and that gave us momentum. Some might say we had the rub of the green, things have gone well.”