Match Report
by Christopher Sweetman
Newcastle Town travelled to the top of the table team and the team we are all chasing this season in Macclesfield on a bitter Tuesday Autumn evening.
Town had the first chance on the evening, as Ethan Vale’s free kick was well saved by Marcelo Pitaluga in the Macc goal who is currently on loan from Premier League Liverpool. Then visitors had another chance minutes later, as Will Lloyd’s long-range shot crept wide of the post.
Macclesfield started to make their dominance of possession tell, as they earned themselves a plethora of chances.
Neil Danns and Lewis Fensome both put good chances behind from Macclesfield corners, before Kengni broke and fired over.
The breathless opening exchanges continued with both sides willing to play end-to-end football in the opening half hour. Jake Lovatt fired a volley over from a Newcastle corner, before a Macclesfield break ended with Berry passing into open space and Castle dealt with it.
Brandon Lee then broke into the box for Macclesfield, but Newcastle keeper Joe Slinn stuck out a leg to deny him with a superb save.
However, from the resulting corner, Macclesfield played short and built up play and Danns pinpoint cross allowed Curran to head past Slinn for the opening goal.
The second half began with both sides looking to take control of the game but with Macc holding more onto possession at times and creating chances.
First Berry fired two chances wide – one from Kengni’s cross and the second from his own penetrating run. Macclesfield then saw another chance peter out as Curran’s pass in the box went to no one, before Kengni chipped wide. Berry then tried an ambitious long-range shot, which only just went wide, before Kengni did the same off a corner.
However, minutes later Macclesfield got their second goal, as Kengni fired a cross into the box, which Berry finished decisively.
The hosts immediately went back on the attack, with Slinn having to make an excellent save to deny Berry a second in a matter of minutes.
Newcastle then had their best attacking spell of the half, with their best chance falling to Jayden Hunter, who fired wide after a superb ball over the top from Askey.
Moments after that Macclesfield however finished the game off, as they played through the middle to Berry, who fired past Slinn for his second and Maccs third and final game of the afternoon.
Newcastle remains eighth in the table, and now travels to Clitheroe on Saturday.
match highlights via the Macclesfield Town YouTube channel