ALDERSHOT TN 1, MACCLESFIELD 2

A FIFTH-minute penalty and red card for Will Evans spoiled the match as a football spectacle, but Aldershot came close to taking a point and made Macclesfield dig deep for their important victory at the EBB Stadium on Saturday.

The clash between first and second in the National League drew a crowd of 4,358, with more than 4,000 home fans hoping to see their team leapfrog the Silkmen to the top of the table.

But in Macclesfield’s first attack, referee David Rock adjudged Evans to have been the last defender when Nathan Blissett went down just inside the area and the centre-back was shown a straight red.

Danny Whitaker drilled home the penalty in front of a disgruntled East Bank and the leaders were off to a flying start.

A second goal seemed imminent as Macclesfield went for the kill and sliced through the Shots defence seemingly at will, with the rangy, 6ft 5in Blissett – nephew of Luther, and on loan from Plymouth – proving a real handful for Aldershot’s re-organised defence.

But things changed when Gary Waddock made a tactical substitution and sent on Manny Oyeleke to stiffen up the central midfield.

Oyeleke’s muscular presence and the indefatigable spirit of the Aldershot side – personified by the Jim Kellermann who ran himself into the ground on the right – made certain it was a contest.

It was fought out mainly in midfield, but the Shots nearly equalised just before half-time, Macclesfield surviving a scramble when Oyeleke, picking up on one of Adam McDonnell’s flowing runs, hammered a low cross towards the near post.

Two minutes after the break, Oyeleke earned space with a cheeky step-over and blasted a shot that Shwan Jalal fumbled and the lurking Scott Rendell was just beaten to the loose ball.

A minute later, though, Macclesfield had their second goal. Elliott Durrell, intercepting a mis-clearance, looked to have overrun the ball, but a lucky ricochet put him clear on the right and his pull-back found Blissett forcing his way through to score from close range.

Aldershot’s response was to press even harder and they had their reward when a flicked header by Oyeleke hit centre-back George Pilkington’s flailing arm. Mr Rock pointed to the spot and Rendell’s nerveless penalty put the game in the balance again.

Half-an-hour still remained and although the Silkmen were denied a third goal when Oyeleke cleared Tyrone Marsh’s shot off the line, the ten-man Shots were much the more dangerous side.

Macclesfield, although they often looked good on the ball, were lackadaisical in comparison and were playing for time long before the finish.

Substitutes Nicke Kabamba and Fabien Robert sprinted into the action to pose them further problems.

Kabamba almost got on the end of a cross from the excellent James Rowe and in the final exchanges Macclesfield were hanging on by their fingernails as goalkeeper Lewis Ward joined the Aldershot attack for two set-pieces.

Macclesfield’s relief was evident at the finish. They go four points clear, but Aldershot can take pride from a gutsy display when the odds were stacked against them.

“I thought the players’ performance and attitude was first class,” said Gary Waddock. “It would have been interesting if it had been eleven against eleven and, as a spectacle, it would have been much better.” And had the manager a view on the sending-off? “No comment!,” was his terse reply.

Aldershot: Ward, Evans, Fowler, Reynolds, Kinsella, Kellermann (Kabamba 71), McDonnell, Taylor (Oyeleke 13), Rowe, McQuoid (Robert 71), Rendell. Subs (not used): Cole, Gallagher. Sent off: Evans. Booked: McQuoid, Rowe.

Macclesfield: Jalal, Hodgkiss, Fitzpatrick, Lowe, Pilkington, Durrell (C Evans 82), Marsh (Kennedy 95), Hancox, Blissett, Whitehead, Whitaker. Subs (not used): Wilson, Ramsbottom, Burgess. Booked: Hancox, Durrell.

Referee: David Rock.

Attendance: 4,358 (215 away).