MACC RULE THE PACK! in a row
Askey’s boys top the lot with fifth win
MACC ARE on the attack! Scott Wilson kept Macclesfield Town’s flag flying high on top of the National League table with a decisive winner at Leyton Orient.
John Askey’s side made it five league wins on the spin and landed another blow on the struggling O’s, who are without a win in eight games.
The Silkmen are three points clear of Dover Athletic – they drew with Maidenhead United – while Dean Keates’ Wrexham continue their push up the league. A Craig Robson own goal at Dagenham & Redbridge means the Red Dragons are unbeaten in 11 games and sit third.
Bromley and Aldershot Town are back in the play-off places thanks to wins against Woking and Tranmere Rovers respectively.
Meanwhile, AFC Fylde’s home clash with Maidstone United was abandoned after a heavy downpour.
SUTTON UNITED left it late – very late – to snatch a point at Hartlepool United, and make the train journey home a pleasant one.
Trailing to a first-half Rhys Oates strike and down to ten men after Craig Eastmond suffered a suspected broken ankle, the U’s looked like heading home in miserable mood.
But a cross into the area found its way to substitute Tommy Wright and he cracked in a farpost volley to secure a deserved leveller.
After Pools secured victories with two late goals in recent weeks, they were on the receiving end this time.
“There’s been a lot of late goals in the division – Hartlepool have had a couple of them themselves, so it’s a common thing,’’ reflected U’s boss Paul Doswell.
“You have to keep going to the end. And after the terrible injury to Craig, the lads can get on the train home in good spirits, but it looks like he’s fractured his ankle. It’s terrible news.
“We were the team looking to try and win the game. But there was a great crowd here, very passionate, and these are the days we want to be involved in.’’
Pools’ former England Under21 keeper Scott Loach had to be alert to keep out a Jamie Collins shot and Ross Lafayette effort with his feet early on before the first real effort at the other end yielded the first goal. Devante Rodney cut inside from the left side, and his low shot was spilled by Jamie Butler – and Oates followed up to tap into an empty net.
It should have been two on 55 minutes. Jon Franks stole possession and his low angled shot was pushed out by Butler, but only as far as Rodney. The striker slid in and, from a tight angle, pushed his finish wide.
Sutton might have then made them pay when first Josh Taylor’s shot was blocked on the line by Michael Ledger and then Wright pushed the follow up wide from six yards.
Nicky Bailey tried an ambi- tious free-kick from long range, but it was never asking a question of Loach, who went full-stretch to tip over a deft Adam Coombes chip.
The visitors lost Eastmond in injury time, but the ten men – the U’s had already made three changes – levelled. A curling, angled cross found its way to the far post and Wright smacked in an unstoppable volley from an angle.
Frustrated Pools boss Craig Harrison said: “The conditions played a huge part. The team with the wind was always putting the opposition under pressure.
“We got to 70-75 minutes and you start to think about defending to see it out – get the second goal and you do it.
“It’s a point, we didn’t play bad and it’s one defeat in 11. If we win on Tuesday, we have had a good week.’’