Chances wasted for cup progress
EMIRATES FA CUP FIRST ROUND FOREST GREEN ROVERS 1 MACCLESFIELD .............. 0
MACCLESFIELD Town dropped out of the FA Cup on Saturday after a 1-0 loss against League Two side Forest Green Rovers at The New Lawn.
The Silkmen saw chances go begging as they faced opposition from the division above, and Christian Doidge made them pay as he bundled in from three yards’ out.
Forest Green, who sit in 20th position in League Two, started the match playing a 3-5-2 formation, something John Askey’s side looked to capitalise on and it almost paid off.
After Doidge fired over the bar with the first chance of the game, Macclesfield found themselves with the majority of the chances as Tyrone Marsh looked dangerous.
A big chance came for Danny Whitehead in the 19th minute and he saw his effort saved by on-loan Chelsea goalkeeper Bradley Collins and go out for a corner after good work from Marsh.
Some more good play from Marsh moments later saw his toe-poked effort caught by Collins, who was keeping Forest Green in the game.
Both team’s forwards seemed up for this FA Cup occasion as Marsh and Doidge seemed raring to get their side in the lead with Marsh having a goal disallowed for offside after Doidge hit the bar, but Doidge was the man to make the difference.
Forest Green’s Welsh forward was freed into the penalty area after a good through ball, and as the move seemed to end with Doidge misscontrolling the pass, Scott Laird appeared on from the wing to cross back into Doidge who prodded in from close range.
Despite being 1-0 down at half-time, it was clear that Askey’s men were troubling Forest Green, looking to exploit the formation used by Mark Cooper’s side, but were lacking the end product that is needed when playing a side from the division above.
As the second half progressed, it was clear that the away side were fading from the game and Rovers should have sealed their place in the 2nd round with much more conviction after chances for Doidge, Keanu MarshBrown and substitute Omar Bugiel.
With such a narrow scoreline, Macclesfield took the opportunity to throw men forward for set plays, but couldn’t get past a determined Forest Green defence.
“We went to Forest Green and made a good game of it,” Askey told mtfc.co.uk after the game.
“There was nothing in it apart from our own finishing.
“Looking back on the game, we had most of the chances.”
The Silkmen have reason to be optimistic after Saturday’s encounter, as they showed they could go toe-to-toe with a team in the division they currently see themselves fighting to get promoted to, and that too with a team that had made four changes from their league loss the weekend prior.
As Forest Green Rovers progress into the second round of the FA Cup, Macclesfield Town will be left to focus on their National League season where they will continue working hard to gain promotion back to the EFL. promotion that would be lovely, but the ultimate aim is to play as many games as I can, score as much goals as I can and help Macclesfield do well as a team. I’ve been waiting to play some games, I’m here now, ready to get started and ready to kick on.”
The striker, who stands at 6’4”, said the fans can expect a ‘quick, strong, powerful and hard working centre forward’.
Mullings will be available for Macclesfield’s next league game, away against Barrow on Saturday November 11.
Meanwhile, boss John Askey believes there’s plenty of reason for cheer at Macc, despite losing their last three games.
“When you look at the league table you realise what a good position we are still in, despite the loss against Eastleigh,” he said.
“Being up at the top of the league is not so much about pressure, it’s just a desire to keep it going. We’ve started well and we want to keep it going.
“Not only are we second in the league, but we are playing well.
“Against Dagenham and Redbridge I thought we were very much in the game and against Eastleigh I felt we were the better of the two teams. We’re playing some really god stuff and if we keep doing that then the result will keep coming.”
‘There was nothing in it apart from our own finishing’