Macclesfield Town 2 Southend United 1

With manager Newman apparantly having a vendetta against popular left-side player Neil Jenkins, it was assistant boss Steve Tilson, 36-years of age, who filled in for the suspended Damon Searle at left back. The loyal travelling supporters were left stunned as to how Tilson, a former favourite who is unfortunately no longer upto playing League football, could be preferred to a promising and hard working England Under-20 International.

Unfortunately however United had ban even bigger handicap in their side; Watford loanee striker Dominic Foley. Foley, on a months loan simply to regain fitness, was cleatly more worried about not hurting himself than pulling his weight for Southend United. When Foley was eventually substituted he was roundly booed off the pitch by the majority of the visiting support, that was something I'd never actually seen before. Thing is, with leading scorer Tes Bramble returning from suspension for the trip to Kidderminster Harriers on Tuesday evening, that Newman will still prefer the lazy Foley, it's just a incling that I have.

It was actually Foley's only worthwhile work of the afternoon that brought the first action of an incredibly dire first half on eleven minutes, Town goalkeeper Steve Wilson doing well to push the Irishman's 25 yard free kick around the post.

Then, amazingly the only other chance of the first half, three minutes before the break, saw Danny Whitaker somehow smash the ball over the bar from four yards after Darryl Flahavan dropped a cross under pressure from Kyle Lightbourne.

As the heavens opened and the bedraggled away supporters took a soaking from the elements behind the goal, their side seemed to surrender, Kevin Maher and Steven Clark both had efforts fly just off target, but once the home side had taken the lead on 69 minutes there was no coming back for the lacklustre Shrimpers. Pacey striker David Eaton raced onto a long through ball by Danny Adams, and despite a slight angle Eaton drove a low shot into the bottom left hand corner despite Flahavan just about getting a couple of fingers onto the ball.

The advantage was doubled ten minutes from time and in almost identical circumstances, this time however it was Lightbourne who raced onto a Steve MacAuley pass before curling a shot past the advancing Flahavan from a similar angle.

United however did manager to pull a goal back on 88 minutes and, much to the delight of the supporters, it came from the boot of substitute Jenkins. Mark Salter, who himself was a replacement for Foley, nodded down a loose ball and Jenkins, ten yards from goal crashed home a neat left foot volley. Unfortunately it was all very much too little too late for Newman's men.

MACCLESFIELD TOWN (3-5-2):- Steve Wilson; Darren Tinson, Michael Welch, Steve MacAuley; Steve Hitchen, Chris Priest, Darren Dunning, Danny Whitaker, Danny Adams; Kyle Lightbourne, David Eaton (Matthew Tipton 90). Unused subs - Neil Ross, David Smith, Neil Robinson, Lee Martin.

SOUTHEND UNITED (4-4-2, with ratings out of ten):- Darryl Flahavan 6; Daryl Sutch 6, Steve Tilson 4 (Neil Jenkins 73, 6), Leon Cort 6, Stephen Kelly 6; Jay Smith 5 (Stuart Thurgood 84), Kevin Maher 6, Daniel Marney 4, Steven Clark 5; Mark Rawle 6, Dominic Foley 2 (Mark Salter 84). Unused subs - Mark Beard, Daniel Gay.

TLG MAN OF THE MATCH: Mark Rawle.
Certainly a very hard choice with no United players standing out all afternoon. The award, only because I have to give one, goes to Mark Rawle who did at least keep plugging away all afternoon. It was hard for him playing alongside the complete immobile Dominic Foley and Rawle did cause a few threats during the first half.

Attendance: 1,917 (approx 375 away fans).
Referee: Andy Bates (Birmingham) 8 out of 10.

Mark Wallis
www.thelittlegazette.com