Aggborough is a fortress no longer

In response to that bad defeat at home to Altrincham last week, and the fallout that followed, the Harriers manager Gary Whild threw in the towel today and chose a team destined to serve up dross.  We had no strikers starting the game, the midfield and frontline was overloaded with workmanlike midfielders who could find no real outlet and defenders whose only option was to boot the ball forward to the strikers that weren't there.

It was a disaster from start to finish and wee ended up with our fourth home defeat in a row.

During the week preceding the game Whild has shipped out striker Reece Styche after he laid into the senior players in the squad accusing them of not pulling their weight.  It was another of those senior players, Craig Reid, that found himself on the bench alongside one of the new boys, Akwase Asante, who had done nothing wrong.  Upfront Whild opted to go for two wingers and a midfielder? in Keyon Reffell, Marvin Johnson and Aman Verma.  In place of Verma he bought in Jake Green to help supply the ball.

Macclesfield, up in third place before the game with us in sixth, made just the one change to the side that were playing their first game since New Years Day with Paul Lewis replacing the departed Arthur Gnahoua.

The first half was a washout for both sides.  On a pitch that has to take the blame for 99% of the problems it was never going to be a spectacle and the efforts on goal were at a minimum with the only two chances of note coming from Verma, a header cleared off the line, and Johnson with a shot from the edge of the area that the, dodgy on crosses, Macc keeper did well to get down to and flip out for a corner.

We did attempt to play more football on the ground towards the end of the half but the Macclesfield defenders were wise to that and we never really got anywhere near the goal other that the two chances mentioned already.

In previous games when we have had a poor first half we have come out all guns a blazing for the second period.  Must have been damp gunpowder today then.

On a strength sapping pitch both sides took it easier and with the Harriers now kicking towards their own fans it was noticeable how little Marvin Johnson and Keyon Reffell were seeing of the ball and when they did manage to get it they were going nowhere due to the tightness of the visitors defence.  Only once during the second half did Johnson get anywhere near the bye line when normally we would have expected to see him haring down the wing continuously.

Danny Lewis was called into action early on in the half when George Pilkington saw his header tipped over the bar and Jack Byrne responded with a shot that went wide of the mark but then a few minutes later and it was game definitely over for the Harriers.  First a poorly defended corner saw Pilkington head the ball into the area for Alex Grant, on loan from Stoke City, to slide the ball home beyond the stranded Lewis and then just a few minutes later Lewis was completely stranded in no mans land when his poor goal kick - loads of them throughout the game - landed at the feet of Waide Fairhurst.  He spotted Danny off his line and sent the ball looping back over him and into the empty goal.

All hopes of a comeback were over for us but to cover over the cracks Gary Whild sent a striker on.  Jamie Spencer came on for Reffell but he still had no service to work with and ran around looking for the ball without any luck.

Callum Gittings came on for Aman Verma in an attempt to supply Spencer with something to work with and for a short time we did look a little more inspired with Jamie Grimes sending a header over the bar but it was all too hopeless and all too late.

After the game we were informed, by Hereford Worcester radio, that the former Harriers hero Lee Hughes was watching the game and has already been in talks with the club in view of a swansong at the club he loves.  If only.

 Goals for Macclesfield: Grant 66, Fairhurst 69

REFEREE:

Mr I Hussin Merseyside