Silkmen give Stoke run for their money
RICHARD PARTINGTON
STOKE............................ 5 MACCLESFIELD .......... 2
MACCLESFIELD Town kicked off their pre-season campaign with a behind-closeddoors defeat against Championship side Stoke City.
Both teams had strong line-ups for the match, with Stoke’s new £12 million striker Benik Afobe, among those who were in action.
Afobe got one of the goals for Stoke, while further goals came from Maxim ChoupoMoting, Peter Crouch, Saido Berahino, Tyrese Campbell. Callum Evans netted for Macc, while a trialist also got on the scoresheet for the Silkmen late on.
It didn’t take long for Stoke to take the lead at Clayton Wood, when a pass from Ryan Shawcross was met by Afobe, who fired home from 12 yards out to make it 1-0.
The lead lasted just a matter of minutes however, as Evans produced a moment of magic from 25-yards out, firing a brilliant strike past Danish stopper Jakob Haugaard and into the back of the net to level things up.
Stoke were the more dominant side and went close to re-taking the lead on several occasions, with Afobe and Giannelli Imbula both having chances for their side.
Macc had opportunities of their own though, and were more than holding their own against the opposition as it remained 1-1 at half-time.
Both sides changed their entire team’s at the break, and it was after the interval that Gary Rowett’s side really put their foot on the gas. ChoupoMoting needing just three minutes to open his tally for pre-season after creating space for himself and scoring from 18 yards out.
The home side continued to dominate with Charlie Adam the architect of a third goal on the hour mark, producing a pinpoint delivery to Crouch, who made no mistake from eight yards out.
Despite now trialing by two, the Silkmen never gave up and they forced opposition goalkeeper Adam Federici into a save after good work from Evans.
Stoke soon put the match beyond doubt when Moritz Bauer teed up Saido Berahino to hammer home his side’s fourth of the afternoon.
Campbell got his team’s fifth goal in the 90th minute, netting at the second attempt after his first strike had been superbly saved by the Macclesfield trialist goalkeeper.
Macc ensured they had the final say, as right at the death they got their second goal when a trialist capitalised on some hesitancy in the backline and firing past Federici to make the final score 5-2.
MACCLESFIELD STARTING XI:
Trialist, Hodgkiss, Fitzpatrick, Lowe, Grimes, Lloyd, Arthur, Whitaker, Evans, Marsh, Blissett.
MACCLESFIELD SECOND HALF:
Trialist, Trialist, Kelleher, Welch-Hayes, Trialist, Evans, Trialist, Wilson, Trialist, Stephens, Smith.