Dozen up for AFC in Cup

AFC Macclesfield got their Stockport Senior Cup campaign off to an impressive start by putting a lacklustre High Lane side to the sword on Saturday.

Macclesfield opened the scoring within a minute of kick-off. The ball was worked back to centre-half Jordan Hitchen whose pinpoint crossfield ball found the reliable left foot of captain Greg Mathers.

He dispatched the ball into the bottom corner of the goal, and Mathers soon added to his total when he was played in by winger Chris Allen.

Creator then turned goal scorer when Allen cut in from his right-wing berth and unleased a left-footed shot into the top corner of the net.

Macclesfield made it four when left-winger Jack Banister continued his recent hot goal scoring streak when he clipped the ball past the away goalkeeper via the aid of a deflection.

It was soon to be Banister’s turn to grab a brace, this time an early effort from long range left the away ‘keeper grasping at thin air.

Macclesfield ended the half six goals to the good. This time it was full-back Scott Wright’s turn to add his name to the score sheet when a smart one-two with Sam Williamson resulted in Wright slotting the ball left-looted in the bottom corner.

The exhibition continued in the second half. Jordan Gregory grabbed a quick-fire brace, and Banister completed his second hat-trick of the season.

The real hero was five-star Mathers, who scored a remarkable second half hat-trick to add to his first-half brace.

The pick of the goals came when Chris Kirk in the home goal rose above the packed penalty area to punch the ball to playermanager Ed Haslam who found Mathers with a laser accurate 40-yard cross-field pass. Mathers clinically dispatched the ball into the top corner to complete the rout.