Macclesfield Town 4 (1) v Port Vale 1 (1)

Wednesday 16 September 2009

Port Vale Reserves: Lloyd-Weston, Stockley, McCory, Horsfield, Chapman, Griffith, Richman, Jarrett, Glover (Morsy 80), Gray (Malbon 80), Howland. Subs not used: Watson, Raglan.

MacclesfieldTown Reserves: Brain, Vaughan, Jukes, Lowe, Brisley, Reed, Rooney (Roberts 77), Thomas, Sinclair (Thomas 53), Wright (Mukendi 72), Dennis. Subs not used: Welsby, Askey.

The Moss Rose is not a happy hunting ground for Vale teams at present as the Reserves went down to heavy defeat even though fielding two trialists in Wayne Gray and Jason Jarrett and the returning Danny Glover. Vale were first to threaten and Richman had an early chance but his shot was under powered and easily cut out. Glover was soon getting into a good position out on the left to collect the ball and cross but again it was intercepted before reaching another Vale forward.

11 minutes gone and Vale were behind as the centre half pairing of Horsfield and Chapman was caught out allowing Sinclair to have a one on one with Lloyd-Watson. Although he was pushed out wide to get around Lloyd-Watson he was still able to slip the ball into the far corner before McCory to get back to clear. Vale responded and Gray pulled a shot wide from out on the left. Macclesfield almost stole another goal as a cross was cut out, at the expense of a corner, by Stockley just before reaching the oncoming forward.

Griffith was booked after 20 minutes following an attempt to win a header that was always going to end in a clash of heads. This was followed by a nice move that ended with Howland heading high and wide from a good position. Vale equalised as the half-hour mark approached when a long throw from the right eventually reached Gray, who drove it powerfully into the far corner of the net.

Vale had another chance 5 minutes later when Glover found space to get in a header and although he headed it down it lacked the power to trouble ex-Valiant Brain in the home goal. In the final minutes of the half, Wright got past Horsfield in the heart of the defence and slipped the ball wide of Lloyd-Weston, but a sliding Chapman was able to hook the ball clear as it reached the goal line to send Vale in on level terms.

Vale had an early opportunity when Gray broke down the left; his initial cross was cut out but he recovered to send the ball into the centre where Glover's header was saved. The play then swung to the other end and Lloyd-Weston was called on to make a save to keep the scores equal. Horsfield also saw his name enter the referee's book when he fouled to slow down a Macclesfield attack. The free kick was cleared but the pressure was maintained and Stockley did well to clear before a diagonal ball reached two unmarked defenders.

The game was end to end but the home team was making the chances and Lloyd-Weston was required to save low down by the post after a header by Wright. Eventually the pressure told as in the 60^th minute a Rooney corner was headed home by Brisley coming in unmarked from the other side of the goal. A free kick for a foul on Glover was swung in by Howland and was punched clear by Brain from Glover's head in commanding style.

Vale fell further behind in the 70^th minute as Horsfield was out-muscled by Wright and then drove the ball across Lloyd-Weston for Macclesfield's 3^rd. A 74^th minute free kick by Howland was dipping just under the bar when Brain pushed it up and over. From the resulting corner Horsfield's header hit a defender and went out for another corner that Vale failed to capitalise on.

In the 79^th minute Vale let in a fourth after a comedy of errors by Stockley; he initially had a couple of chances to clear but took it out wide on the right to keep possession even though he was outnumbered, he then trod on the ball, stumbled but regained control and tried a back pass that was too short. Macclesfield's Dennis collected the ball and from the far corner of the penalty box placed it home past Lloyd-Weston via inside of the post.

Vale made substitutions at this point bringing on Malbon, scorer of 4 goals in the last 2 Youth games, and moving Horsfield up front with him. Good play by the subs, Malbon and Morsy, provided a late chance for Morsy that was blocked for a corner as Vale failed to pull a goal back and left well beaten.

Lindon Roberts - Port Vale Volunteers Group.