It was an all to familiar tale at Macclesfield yesterday evening as Hereford United stormed into a two-goal lead only to surrender two points in a careless second half display.
A pair of Will Evans’ thunderbolts gave The Bulls a half-time lead but the hosts were allowed to take a share of the spoils with second half strikes from Matty Hamshaw and Sam Wedgbury.
An unchanged line-up started the match in perfect fashion. The usual punt downfield from the kick-off was dispensed in favour of Kenny Lunt finding Clist with a square ball. The fullback, in turn, played a measured pass to Facey whose cushioned header fell at the feet of Will Evans and he despatched it into the net from 22 yards with just thirteen seconds on the clock.
There followed a thoroughly boring period of over a minute before Facey’s run was blocked and the resulting free-kick wasted. Townsend got in a couple of towering defensive headers and when Wedgbury broke into the box, Cornell had to be quickly off his line to smother the ball. Another Lunt pass found Facey who laid off to Purdie but his cross went just behind the lively Lyle Taylor. For Macclesfield, fullback Tremarco was dangerous on the overlap and set up a chance for Connolly which brought a fine full-length save from Cornell. Kenny Lunt released Barkhuizen and his driven cross was inches away from finding Facey in the six-yard box.
However, The Bulls doubled their advantage just before the half-hour. Kenny Lunt created some space for himself with a trademark turn and squared the ball to Evans thump home from fully 25 yards.
Play swung from end to end and Cornell distinguished himself on a couple of occasions with good stops while Tremarco headed wide when well placed. Another 25-yard screamer from Evans following good work by Taylor was parried away by keeper O’Donnell. Lunt played in, first Facey then Taylor but neither could get a shot away while Barkhuizen had one kicked off the line and the half finished with Cornell tipping a Donnelly drive over the bar.
HT Silkmen 0 Bulls 2
With the halftime reminders about not losing the lead still ringing in their ears, The Bulls contrived to concede just two minutes after the restart. A cross from the right was only half cleared and Wedgbury volley in from twelve yards. The hosts were now on the front foot and rained crosses into The Bulls’ box albeit with little craft. Facey hacked a shot off the line and Cornell, again, brought off a fine save to deny Wedgbury. Clucas replaced the dangerous Barkhuizen after an hour after the Blackpool youngster had been on the end of some hefty tackles from the home defenders. However, once again, it was the withdrawal of Delroy Facey that signalled the end of any control of the match. His aerial prowess and ability to hold up the ball had played a huge part in the Bulls’ early dominance. Without that, the pressure from Macclesfield became constant and when combined with a defence seemingly determined to drop deeper and deeper it came as little surprise when the equaliser arrived with ten minutes remaining.
Facey’s ability to clear corners was missing and when a cross from the right fell at the edge of the box it was slammed home by Matty Hamshaw.
Cue full on panic mode in the back division. When a free kick to the home side was awarded midway into the Bulls half there were four Macclesfield players in offside positions. By the time the taker had kicked the ball, the last man had dropped 8 yards to play every one of them onside. Whatever happened to holding a line?
Colbeck replaced Taylor in an apparently pointless change and some classic Petersball ensued for the closing minutes but The Bulls hung on to add just the one point to there season’s collection.
Dear Richard,
I’m confident you have spotted the faults and look forward to a more organised and educated back line at Morecambe.
Hereford: Cornell, Purkiss, Townsend, Anthony, Clist, Barkhuizen (Clucas 57), Evans, Lunt, Purdie, Taylor (Colbeck 79), Facey (Elder 64). Subs not used: Bartlett, Williams.
Macclesfield: O’Donnell, Connolly, Futcher (Mukendi 46), Brown, Tremarco (Mendy 42), Marshall (Fairhurst 67), Wedgbury, Daniel, Diagne, Hamshaw, Donnelly. Subs not used: Bakare, Tomlinson.
Attendance 1676 with around 190/200 from O’Kellyland.