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Morecambe 0 Macclesfield Town 1

Mike Glendinning
13/ 2/2008

MACCLESFIELD turned the tables on Morecambe at Christie Park, soaking up everything the Shrimps threw at them before scoring a late winner.

The Silkmen, and an impressively vocal band of travelling fans, were still seething from dropping three points just weeks earlier, but the returning Franny Green made the journey worthwhile with a sweet 87th-minute winner.

Green came in for his first start since Boxing Day and he made the most of his only chance to give Macc a much-needed win.

Danny Thomas squandered a first-minute chance when he raced clear, only to be denied by Morecambe keeper Shwan Jalal. Jon Brain was equally alert in blocking a header from Stewart Drummond.

As Sammy McIlroy’s men enjoyed the upper hand, Garry Thompson skewed a shot wide from Wayne Curtis’ pull-back. Thompson also headed wide when latching onto Neil Ashton’s weakly headed back-pass and, five minutes before the break, Brain stood up well to deny the midfielder in a one-on-one showdown.

Sean Hessey had stung the fingers of Jalal who tipped his 25-yard drive over the bar. Hessey and Ryan Cresswell, who spent a brief period on loan at Morecambe, were hugely impressive and showed the makings of a stern backbone that could be crucial in the coming weeks.

In the second half, the Shrimps’ Carl Baker showed his class and posed Macc a host of problems. After he made space for Thompson and collected the return, he blazed his shot narrowly over the bar. A minute later, Brain made a good stop at full stretch when Baker’s volley looked destined for the top corner.

Baker was at the heart of most of the Morecambe attacks and rising pressure, and he set up Curtis for a shot through a crowded penalty area. Brain was again alert to avert the danger. After another twisting Baker run and shot that missed its target, came Green’s moment of glory.

Terry Dunfield found him on the edge of the box and he spun smartly to fire a fierce, low drive past Jalal. After four nail-biting injury-time minutes, Macc held on for the win.