MACC MAKE POINT
MACC ............................... 1 STOCKPORT ................... 1
EKOW Coker’s 85thminute strike helped The Silkmen claim a share of the spoils against a youthful Stockport side, as he cancelled out Millenic Alli’s 15th minute opener.
The match got underway with the visitors dominating the early possession, yet were confined to largely speculative efforts on Ben Pierce’s goal. Macc fought back though and in the third minute, Tom Clare innovatively backheeled the ball into the path of Edy Maieco – whose low drive was wellsaved at the near post.
Laurent Mendy then fired over the bar for the hosts, before a last-gasp interception stopped Clare running clear on goal as Macc began to take hold of proceedings.
Yet it was Stockport who took the lead in the 15th minute, when a backpass failed to have the required power on it and Alli was able to seize on the loose ball.
Having claimed the advantage, it was the visitors who looked the most likely to add to the scoreline in the immediate aftermath and Pierce had to make a string of fine saves to keep them at bay.
Mendy and Grimshaw looked to orchestrate the
Macc response with some surging runs into the opposition half and in the 33rd minute, the latter sent a teasing cross into the area, which was dramatically sliced wide of the far post by a Stockport defender.
Danny Whitaker’s side forced a succession of corners before Kieran Curtis and Sam Grimshaw tested the reactions of the visiting ‘keeper.
As the game reached its latter stages, Macc started to move through the gears in a bid to claim at least a draw from the contest.
In the 69th minute, Mendy’s pinpoint cross was headed marginally over the bar by Clare and after been introduced as a second-half substitute, Aaron Dwyer posed a permanent threat to the Stockport rearguard.
With 12 minutes left Tom Clare then hit a 30-yard thunderbolt which fizzed over the crossbar.
Parity was restored in the 85th minute, however, when a loose ball in the area was seized upon by defender Ekow Coker and his ferocious drive gave the ‘keeper no chance.
MACCLESFIELD STARTING XI:
Pierce, Obeng, Trialist, Kennedy, Coker, Sanogo, Curtis, Mendy, Clare, Maieco, S. Grimshaw.
SUBSTITUTES:
Hodgson, Fragapane, Whitaker, Arnasalam, Crofton, Stead, Dwyer, Trialist.
Manager’s reaction inside