An abject performance by Harriers handed Macclesfield a massive lifeline in their relegation fight as The Silkmen equalled heaviest defeat inflicted on them at Aggborough in the Football League.
After three wins and a draw in their previous four games Harriers were hot favourites to win the game, and with only one change from the side that won at Scunthorpe in midweek - the return of Adam Murray in place of the injured Dean Keates - the early signs were good. That all changed, however, at three o'clock when the game kicked-off. The home team's performance had an air about it that suggested that they felt that they only had to turn up to win. That was proven wrong after just three minutes when Mark Yates brought Matthew Tipton down in the penalty area to gift the visitors a golden opportunity to open the scoring. Tipton stepped forward to take the kick himself and cooly slotted the ball low to John Danby's left with the keeper diving in the opposite direction.
The weather was not ideal, strong winds gusting across the pitch were not conducive to flowing football and Harriers just could not get themselves going. The game was dull; neither team was able to string more than a couple of passes together in any area of the field that mattered. The Silkmen went further ahead after 28 minutes, a cross from deep on the right by Harsley beat the whole Harriers defence, Craig Hinton had come too far inside and allowed Martin Carruthers to drift away from him, the Macclesfield man was then able to direct an easy header back across the goal and just inside Danby's left-hand post. More dreadful defending eight minutes later saw a third goal in the back of the Harriers net; the home defence backed off too much as Jon Parkin ran at them before rolling a pass to the right where Harsley was completely unmarked; his shot across goal was going wide until the intervention of Scott Stamps turned it into the net giving poor Danby no chance.
After the break Harriers had to come out in a more attacking frame of mind. It appeared to be the case when just two minutes into the new period they were awarded a free kick 25 yards out on the left. Murray's kick was a good one, beating the wall and the keeper, but curled just wide of the far post. John Williams felt that he should have had a penalty soon afterwards when he appeared to be pushed in the penalty area but the referee was not interested. It was not the only good shout for a penalty that Harriers had, later on they were denied a clear one when Steve Payne, defending at a corner, clearly pulled Scott Rickards' shirt preventing him jumping for the ball. In between Michael Welch had been left unmarked in the Harriers penalty area but directed his header straight at Danby.
The fourth goal came thirteen minutes from the end; the Harriers defence went AWOL again, Parkin intercepted Hatswell's attempted back header in a central position and flicked it to Tipton on the left, he chipped it over the exposed Danby and ran round him to head it in from close range.
In the last ten minutes Harriers finally found the urgency that had been required well over an hour earlier and pulled a goal back. The ball was headed through the inside-left channel by Christiansen for Rickards to chase; he outpaced the visitors' defence and slotted his shot through Steve Wilson's legs to record his first goal in a Harriers shirt. The former Tamworth man almost added a second moments later with an acrobatic overhead kick from Yates' flick on of a long John Williams throw. Williams could have found himself on the scoresheet also but headed over the bar from three yards out. It was clearly not Harriers' day and one that they will want to forget quickly ahead of the tough upcoming matches against the likes of Lincoln, Carlisle and Hull. |