Macclesfield match thread

[Tamworth Fox]

get in!!!!!!!!!! im going to have a good day at work tommorow, after all even though it is only a friendly..

 

[drummindefender]

hold on for me vcash

 

[Steven]

From the OS.

FT: Macclesfield 0-1 Leicester City

Leicester City took their pre-season record to two wins from two when they battled out a 1-0 victory over Macclesfield Town at Moss Rose on Tuesday evening.

Substitute Elvis Hammond grabbed the only goal of the night with just five minutes of the game remaining - his first of the friendly campaign.

Boss Rob Kelly named a strong starting line up for the clash as his side looked to build on their 4-1 victory over Boston last week.

Rab Douglas started the game in goal, with a backline of Richard Stearman, Paddy McCarthy, Darren Kenton and Nils-Eric Johansson playing in front of him.

Alan Maybury, Gareth Williams, Andy Johnson and Danny Tiatto were named across the middle, with Matty Fryatt and Ian Hume taking up the two roles in attack.

City were quickly into their stride and could have taken the lead as early as the third minute of the game. Fryatt played a good ball in to Stearman from the right, but the youngster's shot was well saved by Jonathon Brain in the Macclesfield goal.

The Silkmen came close themselves with 19 minutes on the clock. Carl Regan whipped the ball in from the right, but Marvin Robinson's header was well blocked by Alan Maybury.

The game was stopped on the 30-minute mark to allow the players to take on fluid as the sun continued to beat down.

As the first half came to a close, Macclesfield midfielder Alan Navarro tested Rab Douglas with a snap-shot from distance - but the big Scotsman was up to the task.

The Foxes should have taken the lead at the beginning of the second period, but Tiatto was unable to keep down Matty Fryatt's centre with the goal gaping.

Kelly made three changes on 62 minutes, replacing Johnson, Fryatt and Hume with Stephen Hughes, Chris O'Grady and Hammond.

And O'Grady almost made an instant impact, but his close range shot fell just wide of Brain's right-hand upright.

Stearman tried his luck from range on 74 minutes, but the sting was taken out of the shot by a block and Brain was able to gather.

O'Grady came close again on four minutes later, but his volley from substitute Josh Low's cross fell just over the bar.

The travelling Blue Army thought that Hammond had given City the lead on 84 minutes, but his well struck shot was deflected into the side netting.

But Hammond would make amends two minutes later - heading home from close range following a strong O'Grady flick.

City will now regroup at their Mottram Hall training camp in Cheshire ahead of Friday night's friendly against Stockport County.

City: Douglas, Stearman, McCarthy, Kenton, Johansson, Maybury (Low 76), Johnson (Hughes 62), Williams, Tiatto (Porter 64), Hume (O'Grady 62), Fryatt (Hammond 62).
Subs: Logan, McAuley,, Kisnorbo, Sheehan, Gerrbrand.

Macc starting line up: Brain, Regan, Morley, Swailes, Bullock, Navarro, McNeil, Miles, Robinson, McIntyre, McNulty.
Subs: Heath, Lee, Brightwell, Reid, Hadfield, Teague, Jennings, McDonald, Denning.

Att: 665

 

[fcukcov]

go on my son! who needs a new striker when we have elvis!!

 

[bocadillo]

From the OS:
City: Douglas, Stearman, McCarthy, Kenton, Johansson, Maybury (Low 76), Johnson (Hughes 62), Williams, Tiatto (Porter 64), Hume (O'Grady 62), Fryatt (Hammond 62).
Subs: Logan, McAuley,, Kisnorbo, Sheehan, Gerrbrand.

Well done to the Official Site for spotting 5 of the 8 substitutions!! As well as the above, McAuley replaced Kenton for the second half, and Gerrbrand and Sheehan replaced Stearman and Johansson with 15 or 20 miutes left.

This means, of course, that only Douglas, McCarthy and Williams completed the 90 minutes.

 

[bocadillo]

It's going to be a long, long season if tonight's performance is anything to go by. I can only remember 4 real chances for us - the first one Tiatto lifted over the bar from about 5 yards, O'Grady put one just wide and then volleyed over after good work by Elvis and Low respectively and then just as we though it was going to finish 0-0, Elvis nodded on an O'Grady flick and it went in just under the bat. There were other half-chances and Elvis had a shot which was deflected just wide, but this was League 2 opposition FFS - and they had their chances as well

No site of Henderson tonight with Rab in the green jersey and Conrad Logan on the bench (Monday's OS report didn't even say that Logan was on the trip!) Rab has lost a fair bit of weight over the close-season and seems to be getting off his line a lot more quickly. Hopefully this will lessen the need to make his desperate lunges at opponents' feet. Good game for him - did everything that was required.

This game saw PaddyMc with Kenton and McAuley for a half each. I would reckon that it is going to be the latter who will partner him whilst Kisnorbo is out. Kenton seems to be able to use the ball better when he does win it, but McAuley seems to have the edge over him in strength in the challenge. Stearman and Johansson played their usual games, although I have got to say that Stearman looked a bit bored at times. Particularly in the first half, Stearman and Maybury were regularly swapping roles. Neither Gerrbrand or Sheehan were on long enough to make any real comment on their game.

I was quite worried when I saw Williams and Johnson come out together in midfield for the first time - not really sure whether we have room for two fancy-Dans who can both go absent from time to time. But having seen them, I have got to admit that they seemed to be good for each other and the 'style' of one sparked the 'style' in the other. They seemed keen to make themselves available and were always looking to make an incisive pass. It's unfortunate therefore that the two up-front were really quite quiet for the second game running. After about 10 minutes, I did say to anybody who happened to be listening, "Fryatt has done more in the last 5 minutes than he did in the whole of his 45 at Boston last week". The bloke in front turned round and said that he had been thinking exactly the same thing. Unfortunately Matty must have heard us because he obviously thought he had done enough and rested for the rest of the game. As for Hume, well he did nothing to get the decent-sized City contingent huuuuming his name - I can;t remember anything of any significance from him. It was quite a contrast for the last half hour when O'Grady and Elvis came on and immediately decided to set about them. Elvis seems to have discovered that if he keeps in closer contact with his marker, he can actually stay onside - close contact means keeping a bit of the defenders shirt loosely gripped in the hand ;-) Well deserved his goal - and I can't be the only one to have noted that O'Grady and Elvis have scored three times the goals that Hume and Fryatt have even though they have spent rather less time on the pitch. For two strikers who are normally such live-wires, they really have been subdued in these tow games - and not by the defences either! Let's hope somebody can get them motivated.

Who haven't I mentioned? Tiatto was guilty of that appalling miss - thank goodness it didn't matter in the end. Nice to be able to say that he has kept his cool in both games. Neither have been the non-contact type of friendly and particularly at Boston, the tackles were flying in from time to time - thankfully no reckless ones form the Aussie.

Hughes - I don't know. Not much effect on either game, although I do think he might be preferred to Williams in the initial starting line-up - not that I've seen anything to particularly suggests he deserves it yet.

Maybury was Maybury. No mistakes, but no real inspiration either. Low has shown that he can and will take a man on and get a centre in, but I fancy it will be Maybury who will get the start because of his linking with Stearman - with Low coming on late in the game.

Levi Porter - ain't he little?!? Always bustling about and keeping the ball on the move. Not worried who he takes on. Good first touch and can kill a ball that comes at him from any angle. It will be interesting to see how he develops but he is one of those 'one for the future' players, although I do see him coming from the bench fairly often this season.

I'm going to bed - it's nearly time to get up!

 

[marky boy]

Cheers for the report Bob, much appreciated

 

[Melton Fox]

Good report Boc, Thanks

 

[bocadillo]

For those who take an interest in minutiae, with Macclesfield in all-blue City wore their third-choice all yellow kit. The shirts bore plain numerals; the players' names were absent. In general players carried their 2006/07 squad numbers; the only exception was Levi Porter who wore 23 vice 27.

All supporters were contained in the new Alfred McAlpine Stand, which is opposite the main stand and replaced what became known as the tented village (the only football stand that I ever saw with a canvas roof!). City fans were segregated into the northern quarter of the stand; there was probably something over 200 of us in a crowd of about 600 - yes, we were a little more squashed than they were.

 

[Steven]

Excellent report. :icon_bigg :icon_bigg :icon_razz

 

[flashyfox]

Well done Boc! Great summary of the game. Much appreciated!

 

[OldGit]

hear hear!

I don't think it tells us too much about what is in store for the season - few of these games can, as they are mainly exercises in getting people up to match sharpness, familiarising various combinations of players with each other in a match situation, and trying out training ground moves against "real" opposition. Given the weather over the last few days it's unlikely anyone was going to bust a gut - indeed, were probably under instruction not to.

 

[bocadillo]

I don't think it tells us too much about what is in store for the season - few of these games can, as they are mainly exercises in getting people up to match sharpness, familiarising various combinations of players with each other in a match situation, and trying out training ground moves against "real" opposition. Given the weather over the last few days it's unlikely anyone was going to bust a gut - indeed, were probably under instruction not to.

I'm sure you're right. Last year at this time I was wondering which would be more typical of our season - the 5 we put past Bødo or the 5 that Lillestrøm put past us!

The drinks break, mentioned somewhere above, was repeated in the second half even though it had become much cooler by then - this seemed to cause some amusement to Elvis and Chris O'Grady who had only been on the pitch for a couple of minutes. As far as any instruction not to bust a git is concerned, these two (together with Levi Little) seemed to have ignored it, whilst there are one or two others who have taken it all too seriously - a notable exception who has put in rather more effort than I would expect from him in such games has been Gareth Williams.

 

[From Gradel to Grave]

Superb report, Boc. It's much appreciated.

 

[lazzer]

I'm sure you're right. Last year at this time I was wondering which would be more typical of our season - the 5 we put past Bødo or the 5 that Lillestrøm put past us!

The drinks break, mentioned somewhere above, was repeated in the second half even though it had become much cooler by then - this seemed to cause some amusement to Elvis and Chris O'Grady who had only been on the pitch for a couple of minutes. As far as any instruction not to bust a git is concerned, these two (together with Levi Little) seemed to have ignored it, whilst there are one or two others who have taken it all too seriously - a notable exception who has put in rather more effort than I would expect from him in such games has been Gareth Williams.

he wouldnt be happy

 

[Han]

Glad to see williams doing well. hopefully it continues into the season.

i'm just pleased we won because of my vCash, it's only a friendly.

 

[alex]

One Bocadillo, there's only one Bocadillo......

Cheers mate - great to read that.

 

[bocadillo]

Something else that I've just remembered. It was good to see the Supporters Liaison Officer in with the real fans at Macclesfield - and his gait and general demenaour suggested that he might have been doing what most real fans do before the game!

Good job it wasn't a real game though - it would have been embarrassing for the club to have had one of its officials carted off for not having read and understood that part of the Football Grounds Regulations that relates to "Unauthorised entry by spectators onto the Field of Play" - although, to be fair to him, he was only replacing the corner flag that Levi Porter's enthusiasm had flattened a few moments earlier.

 

[OldGit]

he wouldnt be happy

certainly not . But I'm back now, released without charge. :icon_bigg

 

[silkman]

All I would ad to Boc's report is that while Hume and Fryatt were poor at holding the ball in the first half, they were being fed scraps by our midfield - too many high balls & too many of White-Boots' fancy (but inaccurate) flicks volleys and reverse passes. They both livened up after the break, and Matty created an open goal for the Aussie liability on his own.

I think we all see wide left and left back as problem areas, and I can't have been alone in expecting our first three signings this summer to be in those positions plus a ball winner in midfield. I don't believe RK was blind to this, and given our limited prospects for this season, he may just have taken the longer view ie that Sheehan Weso and Porter can all play some part this year but really come through the following season. And if so, why block their routes to the first team by signing players in their positions?

I fear for our midfield next season - they were out-fought and out-passed by a 4th division (old money) midfield in the first half, and I'm not sure whether the second half improvement was down to the weather, RK or, more worryingly, the obvious fact that Macc's substitutes weren't as good as their starters, whereas most of ours were.