Miserable Macc
EMIRATES FA CUP FIRST ROUND MAIDSTONE .................... 2 MACCLESFIELD .............. 1
Baway a free-kick on the left-hand side and Jack Powell fired the set-piece into the top-right hand corner.
If the first-half was a quiet affair, the secondEN Stephens’ firsthalf was proving to be the half strike wasn’t complete opposite. Maidenough for the Silkstone thought they’d men as they bowed out of taken the lead after Walthis years’ FA Cup in a 2-1 ton’s shot cannoned back defeat to the hands of off the post on fifty-three Maidstone United. minutes.
Stephens gave Macc the However, the Silkmen lead fourteen minutes countered and Ben into the game as Whitaker Stephens came agonisand Howarth’s men coningly close to putting trolled the first-half. Macc back in front, but
However, second-half Grant Smith made a goals from Jack Powell fantastic double save to and a Blair Turgott pendeny the young striker. alty subjected MacclesThe hosts were growing field to defeat. into the game. Blair Tur
Going into the game, gott fired a shot over the Danny Whitaker and Neil bar and Kieran O’Hara Howarth made four was kept on his toes after changes to the side that he saved a shot from a lost to Bury last time out. tight-angle from Jake CasMost notably Ryan Lloyd sidy. took his place in the startAlthough on sixty-eight ing eleven for the first minutes Maidstone did time since returning from take the lead. Jamie injury and Elliott Durrell Grimes was adjudged to was also fit enough to take have fouled a Maidstone a place on the bench. player in the box and ref
Macclesfield started the eree Neil Hair pointed to game the better out of the the spot. two sides and came close Blair Turgott stepped to opening the scoring up to take and placed the two minutes in. Peter Vinball past Kieran O’Hara. centi found Ben Stephens 2-1. in the box, but the forward Whitaker and Howarth couldn’t connect with the substituted on Nathan ball after trying an acroBlissett and Elliott Durrell batic effort. made a return to first
However, the forward team action, as Macc wasn’t to be denied a goal looked to take the game for long. On fourteen minback to the Moss Rose to a utes, Malachi Napa replay. However, it wasn’t showed Maidstone’s to be as Maidstone Simon Walton a clean pair attempted to kill the tie of heelsoff.beforefinding Stephens in the box, who Blair Turgott had two duly smashed the ball efforts at goal, the first a home to make it 0-1. shot that was sent wide of
Chances were few and the mark, the second a freefar between in the firstkick hit straight at O’Hara half but the Silkmen were into stoppage time but the still looking dangerous. score stayed the same. Maidstone goalkeeper Neil Howarth was Grant Smith had to be on extremely disappointed. his toes to stop Peter Vin“We can be either quite centi’s cross from finding good or poor at the its target in the box and moment. When we’re quite Harry Smith sent a longgood, I think we have a little range effort just wide of bit about us,” he said. the mark. “We’ve got players who
Maidstone found themcan turn it on at times and I selves level just after the was thinking that we had a break. Peter Vincenti gave good 20 minutes to get ‘that’ opportunity or ‘that’ chance to get an equaliser.
“I hadn’t given up hope at all, no way. Again, we fell short, we weren’t able to get any pressure on them, which is a disappointing feeling.”