MACC WILL GO ON THE ATTACK IN LAST FOUR
SECOND-half goals from John Rooney and Kane Drummond secured Macclesfield’s place in the Isuzu FA Trophy semi-finals and kept their Wembley dream alive.
The game started slowly with both teams wary of the threat posed by the other. But Coalville handed the initiative to the hosts after just six minutes.
A simple lofted pass through the middle looked to be easy to deal with for
Eliot Putman but he headed the ball past his own goalkeeper to put the Silkmen into an early lead.
This gift gave Macclesfield the confidence they needed to push on and they had multiple opportunities to increase their lead in the first half. Drummond had a great chance after 22 minutes to make it two but Paul White in the Coalville goal did well to get down and thwart his effort.
The only big opening for the visitors came just after the Macclesfield goal, when Tim Berridge forced Joe Hilton into a fine save at his near post. Michael Clegg’s side left their best spell of the first half until the last few minutes, as they went at Coalville with an onslaught of attacks. Drummond hit the post, Paul Dawson had a header well-saved and Rooney had a low effort stopped by the keeper as well.
There was a feeling the Silkmen could end up rueing their missed chances in the second half if they didn’t press on but it was more of the same for Macc after the interval.
After a barrage of pressure, Macclesfield finally got their just reward in the 63rd minute when Rooney doubled the lead in tremendous style.
The ball was cut back to the 33-year-old, who placed the ball into the top corner, giving the goalkeeper no chance of keep
ing it out. And just ten minutes later, forward Drummond sealed the game for Macc with another great goal.
The former Warrington Rylands man broke free on the right and cut back onto his left foot, before catching the goalkeeper out at his near post.
The Silkmen then cruised to the finish line and put themselves into the hat for tomorrow’s FA Trophy last-four draw, with Gateshead, Bromley and Solihull Moors joining them in the hat.
Macclesfield manager Michael Clegg hailed his side’s passage into the semi-finals where the Step 3 NPL Premier side are the lowest-ranked team left in the competition.
“I thought we were poor to begin with but got gifted the goal early on. But after around 20 minutes we started to dominate the game,’ said Clegg, who left Warrington Rylands to take over at Moss Rose last month.
“We pushed the defensive line higher and it helped us massively. What a fairytale it would be if we can get to Wembley.
“I have to give big thanks to the previous managers as well, without them I wouldn’t be in this position.
“It’s alright for me to come into the club at this stage of the competition but it’s because of the job of the previous gaffers that we are in the semi-finals.”
STAR MAN: Sam Heathcote (Macclesfield) ATT: 2,510 ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★ REFEREE: Andrew Miller