Macclesfield unable to recreate the magic of last month’s FA Cup win crystal PalaceWith Sam Heathcote sending over an own goal. brentford till the fifth round 1-0 After a spirited contest at Moss Rose.
Premier League Brentford were 116 places above the National League North team at the start of Monday evening – one place lower than the Palace side who famously lost here in January – but the gap between the teams came to a head as John Rooney’s part-timers dominated the first half.
A Bees team featuring seven changes cannot match the will or skill of a Macclesfield team with a taste for giant-killing and the promise of a fifth-round trip to West Ham.
But they were unable to take the lead and were unable to maintain their blistering pace as the game progressed.
Keith Andrews’s team were far from top-flight standard, but set up camp in the final third and probed until something went wrong. That moment came in the 70th minute, aaron hickey Finding space on the left and firing in a cross that the unlucky Heathcote saw in agony past his own goalkeeper.
Macclesfield dominated the first period, being first to every ball and with an intent that their more glamorous rivals could not come close to. The only thing they failed to do was find the net.
The tone was set immediately, with less than a minute gone when Isaac Buckley-Ricketts won a free kick which Paul Dawson headed. Both men were scorers against holders Palace and looked set to repeat the feat.
Meanwhile, Brentford’s changed XI looked slow and disjointed, hurried and troubled by the home team. Luke Duffy was doing a particularly good job of restricting their space and collected a dreadfully ill-judged pass on the edge of the area before firing.
A double effort from Duffy and De’Manny Mellor in the 18th minute found Yehor Yarmolyuk’s pocket, giving Dawson a clear chance to score. The captain drove from 20 yards but went wide as the atmosphere kicked up a notch in response.
The Bees were timid in comparison, repeatedly finding the quick feet of Romell Donovan on the right, but struggling to do better than a goalmouth scramble and the debutant’s misdirected header. Kay Furorecently arrived Club Brugge.
When their error count increased again Vitaly Gennelt Duffy’s pressure slipped and pulled him down, opening up space behind him. A yellow card followed, but he may have saved his team from a worse situation.
Max Dearnley makes a good save from a rare break for Brentford reece nelsonBut the half-time stalemate left the visitors unimpressed.
The momentum changed after the restart, with Brentford causing problems from back-to-back corners and seeing two teasing crosses go unconverted as they finally applied some pressure.
Corners kept coming as Macclesfield were pinned back, one coming when Mathias Jensen’s chipped pass into the box was deflected and Darnley were forced to turn over.
Moment of indecision from the goalkeeper Haakon Valdimarsson Macclesfield almost let on substitute James Gayle but the decisive goal came moments later. Hickey broke in from the left and fired in his cross, only for Heathcote to make first contact and deflect the header into his own net.
The crowd screamed for an equalizing goal as a penalty claim against handball failed Michael Kayode Nothing happened.
When Mellor found a good position inside the box, two brave blocks prevented the fairy tale extending into extra time, but a harsh moment was averted when Brentford wasted a breakaway in the closing seconds.
