The Macclesfield promotion express train looks like it is showing no signs of slowing down as they picked up yet another victory as they ran out 3-0 winners in a very entertaining game at Kidsgrove Athletic.
Two first half goals from Nicky Maynard put the league leaders in the driving seat before the division’s top scorer James Berry scored late on in the second half to seal the win against the Grove, who had captain Oliver Jepson sent off for two silly yellow cards.
The opening exchanges of the match were frantic as both teams looked to strike the first blow in the game and, it was Kidsgrove who had the first chance of the match as they looked to hit the Silkmen on the break led by Will Saxon. The flying winger picked out Ryan Allcock who dragged his shot just wide of Wyll Stanway’s goal.
However, the Grove were left to rue that missed chance as the visitors broke the deadlock on 11 minutes when Maynard raced clear of the Kidsgrove defence before guiding the ball past the onrushing Sam Booth. The hosts were convinced that the former Crewe Alexandra man was offside, but nothing that Kidsgrove said was going to make the officials change their minds.
Maynard did not have long to wait for his second goal of the game, which came on 24 minutes as some instinctive reaction saw him block Booth’s attempt at clearing Scott Lycett’s back pass from inside the six-yard box. The ball ricocheted off him and flew into the top corner of the goal as the visitors stamped their authority on the game.
Throughout the first half, Macclesfield continued to turn the screw on the Kidsgrove defence as both Neil Kengni and player-manager Neil Danns both put chances wide of the goal. While Maynard had a chance to grab a first-half hat-trick but he put his effort straight at Booth.
It was not all Macclesfield mind you as Kidsgrove had a couple of decent opportunities to get back into the match. The first saw Adu-Gyamfi put the ball over the crossbar after Allcock won the ball from the visitor’s defence, while Lycett did the same when he lashed the ball over from around 25 yards out.
After the half-time interval, it was more of the same as both teams traded early chances to score in the second half. First Saxon flashed a chance wide of the goal after some decent work by the Kidsgrove midfield to get the ball out to him. While Berry, who was having a quiet game by his standards, cut in off the flank but was to put his chance wide of the goal.
Grove midfielder Ernest Ofosu is still looking for his first league goal in Kidsgrove’s colours and he almost had it on 52 minutes when he spotted Stanway was off his line. The midfielder was around 35 yards out and tried to lob the goalkeeper but, unfortunately, he put his chance over the bar.
The game’s main talking point came on 65 minutes when Jepson fouled Berry near the corner flag before the Kidsgrove captain stupidly kicked the ball at him in a rush of blood to his head, and with Jepson already in referee Jamie Condie’s notebook for dissent in the first half, the official was left with no option but to send him from the field of play.
Jepson’s red card ended the game as a contest as Kidsgrove looked to limit the damage, they did so by adding extra body to the defensive line by bringing on the returning Callum Leigh in place of Allock. Had they not been a player light, manager Scott Dundas would have no doubt put on flare player Kyle Diskin or top scorer Aaron Bott who were warming the bench.
Macclesfield got the game’s final goal on 81 minutes when Alex Curran was able to make the man advantage count as he broke through the Kidsgrove defence before unselfishly squaring the ball to Berry who buried the ball home at the back post for his 18th league goal of the season, 25 in all competitions.
The result means Macclesfield maintain their eight-point advantage at the top of the Northern Premier League West division table. Kidsgrove on the other hand slip down to eighth place in the league table but, are still just about in touch with the playoff places.
After the game I caught up with both managers to get their thoughts on the match, first of all you can hear from Scott Dundas, the manager of Kidsgrove Athletic.
I also spoke to Macclesfield’s player-manager Neil Danns to get his thoughts on his side’s latest victory.
Kidsgrove Athletic: Booth, Minshall (Knapper, 60), Lycett (Bergin, 46), Bromfield, Jepson, Thorpe, Saxon, Ofosu, Adu Gyamfi, Allcock (Leigh, 73) and Stubbs.
Unused subs: Diskin and Bott.
Macclesfield: Stanway, Pemberton, Lee, Fensome, Mendy, Murphy, Kengni (Drummond, 80), Danns, Maynard (Curran, 74), Hardy (Massanka, 63) and Berry.
Unused subs: Cowan and Grimshaw
Attendance: 1,200
