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Shrewsbury Town 2 Macclesfield Town 0

Mike Glendinning
5/12/2007

MACCLESFIELD’S unbeaten run ended in defeat after a dismal first visit to the New Meadow.

The Silkmen went down 2-0 in a game in which they had alarmingly few chances on goal, and the hosts could have won more far more emphatically.

Jonathan Brain replaced flu victim Tommy Lee in goal for his frst league start of the season and, despite a good outing for him, he was powerless to stop Stewart Drummond’s looping header giving Shrewsbury the lead on the half-hour.

Drummond, who saw an earlier chance to score from Dave Hibbert’s knock-down saved by Brain, reached David Hunt’s long throw-in first and found a gap beyond the Macc keeper.

Drummond had also had a speculative overhead kick saved by Brain as Shrewsbury shaded the opening exchanges.

Macc could have been further behind at the break but were pleased to see Hibbert waste a good opportunity from a free-kick.

The visitors had played the first half with Franny Green as a lone striker but he was joined in attack by Gareth Evans in the second as manager Ian Brightwell went in search of a goal.

Although Macc almost levelled when Levi Reid’s shot from Danny Thomas’ cross was deflected out for a corner but, with an equaliser proving elusive, Evans made way for Martin Gritton.

After Adam Murray was harshly booked for a foul, the resulting free-kick was cleared by Gritton, but his header only reached Hunt, who volleyed a low 20-yard drive beyond the unsighted Brain.

The goal ended the game as a contest. Although Macc, who also introduced Terry Dunfield and Simon Wiles for Reid and ex-Shrew Jamie Tolley, were much better in the second half, they rarely troubled Shrewsbury keeper Glynn Garner.

Hibbert did have the ball in the net but his strike was rightly chalked off for offside.

At the other end, Green’s header looked to have been handled by Darren Moss but referee Keith Stroud was in no mood to hand Macc a lifeline.

Hibbert should have scored a third when he found time and space in Brain’s area but he hit the ball wide from 10 yards out.

Brightwell said after the game: “I was disappointed with the first half, but I thought that, in the second, we did a lot better, even though we didn’t create a great deal.

“Jonathan Brain was excellent. He made some very good saves and couldn’t be blamed for either goal.

“The first looped over him and the second went through a group of bodies.”