I cross the Pennines and ask Darlo Kev if he’s coming out to play. United are close enough to be walkable from his house and it’d make a nice change from trying to park in a back street somewhere. We arrive in plenty of time for a pint. The clubhouse, ‘The Cross Bar’...Hurst Cross...see what they did there?...is very smart indeed. In fact, it’s a lot better than many pubs I’ve visited and different class to town neighbours Curzon’s portacabin. We are lucky enough to grab the final table and admire some old (1960s) Ashton programmes, framed on the wall.
The bar is on the right as you enter the turnstiles. To the left is the main stand, modern in look yet full of stanchions. It can’t be more than 25 yards long. Then comes some terracing, which sweeps round the rest of the ground, between 4 and 8 steps deep. The other 3 sides all have cover, to a varying degree. To the left, a small white structure at the top of the steps, to the right, what looks like one long bike shed. There’s no rain, so everyone’s out in the open. The far touchline has a cover along most of it, and we take a pew here 2nd half.
1st half, we’re mostly to the left of the away dugout. The odd fan comes up and says hello to the coach. Lovely. With Macc kicking towards this end, 1st half, the vast majority of their support has congregated down here. It’s Ashton’s 2nd highest crowd of the season (after a Boxing Day clash with FC United of Manchester) and probably around half are Macclesfield. No Robbie Savage, tonite, I overheard in the social club. His son’s been drafted into the Wales squad for a crucial Euros qualifier Poland (they lost on pens). According to the same source, former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan is here though. ‘He was born in Lancashire, wasn’t he?’ says Kev. Was he? I dunno.
The pitch down by our side is a thing of beauty. Churned up mud, it mirrors some of the farmers’ fields at present. It looks hazardous, but Macc aren’t bothered and there’s plenty of play in this corner as Macc take control. A ball is lofted over from this wing, the centre halves underestimate its length and it’s sidefooted home on the backpost. Macclesfield fans take potshots at the keeper, possibly cos he’s within hearing distance, rather than any actual blame, though it works as, unnerved, his kicking becomes unsure. Just after the half hour, the Silkmen grab a 2nd, as Sam Perry beats 2 players, cuts inside and hits it low from 20 yards. At 22 and having played 30 games for Walsall, he’s probably playing below his ability (and hopefully being handsomely remunerated for it). Macclesfield currently average 3,117, nearly twice as high as 2nd played FCUM.
The Silkmen are in total control and I see no way back for Ashton. But hang on…we’re 60 or so minutes in and the Macc keeper comes sprinting out of his area. There’s no way he’s getting to the ball first and he takes out the Ashton forward in spectacular style. A red is brandished and, with no keeper on the bench, one of Macc’s smallest players takes the gloves. Game on. Or rather, that should’ve been game on. What follows is half an hour of anti climax as Ashton overhit balls and put absolutely no pressure on a keeper who obviously has no idea what he’s doing, other than diving on the ball once it’s ran through to him, a la Jordan Pickford. The one ‘shot’ he saves is an overhit cross which lands on his chest. In a game they needed to win, Ashton only have themselves to blame for not performing. Still, 5th placed Hyde are only 6 points ahead...and the Robins have 2 games in hand. The play-off dream is not dead yet.
The Damage:
£12 ent
£2 programme
£8.60 pints of Cruzcampo and Guinness
= £22.60
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