Congleton 2-2 Macclesfield

No 7-0 thrashing this season as the Silkmen were held to a 2-2 draw at Congleton in the pouring rain.

The weather was more like a November match than pre-season as the Silkmen lined up for their first match of the campaign.

The only player to remain on the pitch for the full 90 minutes was Jon Brain, who was joined in the first half by Reid, Hessey, Brisley, Deen, Hadfield, Dunfield, Thomas, Gritton, Evans and Rooney.

And the action started with a goal from the Silkmen as Gritton took the ball down the right, cut in and slotted past the goalkeeper to the far post.

But the lead didn’t last and Andy Alstom headed in at the far post after a right wing free-kick was swung in.

The Silkmen had plenty of chances to retake the lead. Terry Dunfield shot straight at the keeper after a good cross from Deen and then a string of oppotunities came to nothing.

Danny Thomas beat his man to get clean through but the ball held up on the soggy pitch causing him to check his run and allowing a defender to recover. Then Terry Dunfield shot wide from close range, John Rooney had a one on one saved and Gareth Evans poked wide.

Youth player Tom Nadin replaced John Rooney before Jon Brain was called into action to teice deny the home side, once a parry from close range and a low dive to his left from the follow-up.

Immediately from the break, Gritton dummied the ball to take his marker out, and rolled to Evans in the centre in space. But he took a touch too many and was closed down. Finding space to shoot, he squeezed the ball just the wrong side of the post.

the second half saw wholesale changes. With Brain the only player to remain, it was a slightly younger side in the second half.

Brain, Flynn, Walker, Jennings, Morgan, Hirst, Millar, Bell, Blackman, Green, Yoeo.

The second period had fewer chances with the first coming to Yeo. Good work by Hirst found himself space to cross and Yeo’s sidefoot shot was parried well by the ‘keeper.

Franny Green took the lead for the Silkmen, latching on to a through-ball, he outpaced his marker, took the ball around the goalkeepr and slotted home from a narrow angle.

But again the lead didn’t last and within minutes, a ball from the right evaded the defence for Jamie Morrow to budle home.