Darlington 1 Macclesfield 2

Attendance 1404

Gales 37 mins, 0-1, Maskell 56 mins 1-1. Gale 58 mins. 1-2

We'd like to thank Hilliards Furniture for being our matchball sponsors tonight

https://www.hilliardsathome.com/

Darlington’s three match winning run was ended by FA Cup fighters Macclesfield at Blackwell Meadows last night.

The Silkmen took the lead with an early penalty in a fast and furious game, but Quakers deservedly levelled early in the second half through Jack Maskell.

However, James Gale fired the winner within two minutes of Quakers equalising.

Here are the goals

https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/news/goals-from-the-macclesfield-game

and Steve's post match interview

https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/news/steve-i-thought-we-were-worth-a-point

Macc put the pressure on the Quaker defence from the off and forced an early corner, but the home defence got the ball away.

Quakers had an opening when Jack Maskell found himself in the clear off a poor backpass, but the visitors got back and covered.

Macc were awarded a penalty on 6 minutes when Luke Matheson went down in the box, but Rory Watson threw himself to his right and superbly pushed away Luke Duffy’s penalty.

But Quakers responded when Ellis Stanton broke away and slipped the ball to Tom Tweedy, whose left foot shot went just wide of the left hand post.

Macc thought they should have had a second penalty when James Gale went down when he was challenged by Scott Barrow, but the referee waved their appeals away.

Quakers nearly scored on 15 minutes when McGowan won the ball on the edge of the area and set up Cedric Main, whose lob beat Ravenhill but came back off the bar.

Main had another chance when he got away from the defence, but a defender just managed to get back and put the ball out for a corner.

McGowan curled the corner in, Ravenhill missed it, but a defender got the ball off the line.

Then Quakers had a chance on 27 minutes when Stanton again found Tweedy on the left, and he pulled the ball back for Howells to have a low shot saved by the keeper.

Quakers were forced into a change on 29 minutes when Stanton went off injured, and was replaced by Kallum Griffiths.

Macc nearly scored on 33 minutes when Matheson crossed low from the right for Kay to put the ball wide from a few yards.

However, the visitors took the lead on 38 minutes when James Gale found some space on the left side of the area to hit a right foot shot that beat Watson in the bottom left corner.

Quakers nearly levelled in stoppage time when Barrow crossed from the left, Maskell couldn’t reach the ball, but Main was behind him, and he fired across the face of goal.

Half time

Darlington 0 Macclesfield 1

Quakers had an opening on 54 minutes when Howells found McGowan in a central position on the edge of the area, and his effort hit a defender before it was headed back to the keeper.

Quakers levelled on 56 minutes. Griffiths put a great cross from the right into the near post, where Maskell managed to flick the ball past Ravenhill.

But Macc went straight back in front, when Sam Heathcote hit a shot that was deflected into the path of Gale, who struck a left foot shot past the stranded Watson

Quakers made their second sub on 63 minutes, when Aidan Rutledge came on for Max Howells.

Rutledge was involved straight away, knocking the ball forward for Main to chase, but Ravenhill came off his line to save.

Then on 72 minutes, Griffiths crossed deep from the right for Maskell, who couldn’t get his header on target.

Quakers nearly levelled on 78 minutes. Ravenhill came out of his area to clear the ball,but he only hit it straight to Maskell, who lobbed the ball back towards goal, but unfortunately just past the left upright.

Quakers threw everything at Macc in the closing minutes. Lees had a header blocked a couple of yards out, and Rutledge just failed to get on the end of a teasing cross from McGowan.

Quakers had late penalty appeals when Main went down, but the referee waved them away

Final: Darlington 1 Macclesfield 2

Watson, Forbes, Lees, Barrow, Howells (sub Rutledge 63), Platt, Tweedy, Stanton (sub Griffiths 29), McGowan, Maskell, Main

Subs: Mason, Hedley, Myers-Smith, Cornish, Barton, Rutledge