ASKEY DELIVERS A MASTERPLAN
JOHN ASKEY hailed his Macclesfield players for car- rying out the gameplan to the letter as they dumped out League One Walsall in the upset of the day at the Bescot Stadium.
There may be 46 places separating the sides but John McCombe’s first-half header was enough for the National League Silkmen to book their place in round two.
In former Dulwich Hamlet starlet Erhun Oztumer, the Saddlers had an in-form match winner, so keeping him quiet was key to one of the club’s biggest wins in years. “The game plan worked well,” Askey said. “We knew who their danger man was. We more than matched them. They had a few chances, but we created more than they did. “It’s a massive win for the club – it has to go down as one of the best wins that Macclesfield have ever had. “It’s a massive result financially – it’s worth £20,000plus and a gate for the next round as well, so it’s huge. “We want to progress as far as we can in the competition, and after winning here, whoever we get in the second round we know we can give them a game.”
It could have been a different story had Walsall’s Joe Edwards finished a superb 50-yard solo run nine minutes in but his shot was saved by Silkmen keeper Craig Ross.
And 14 minutes later McCombe glanced home Dan Whitaker’s set-piece after a mixup between Walsall defender Matt Preston and keeper Neil Etheridge gave Town a freekick.
Etheridge tipped Danny Rowe’s 20-yarder away from the bottom corner before Ross’ strong palms prevented Oztumer’s fierce strike from levelling matters.
But Macclesfield should have won by more as Sampson wasted their best chance by hit- ting the post after being gifted the ball by keeper Etheridge.
Walsall boss Jon Whitney hit out at his players after the game and said they need to perform better when under pressure.
“It’s one to forget but I won’t forget it too quickly,” he said.
“Some of the decisionmaking and some of the below-par performances, you are not going to come through even against a Non-League team.
“They have to handle it themselves better, handle the expectancy. You are an elite athlete and you are going to play against teams where you are expected to win. Some of my players were like rabbits in the headlights.”