Bulls back on top as nine-man Macclesfield implode

The National League North’s game of the weekend didn’t disappoint. Macclesfield will feel they lost it to themselves as much as to Hereford.

Red card, penalty, lead

Saturday’s top-three clash turned early. Elliot Osborne was sent off for Macclesfield, and Hereford’s Aaron Skinner tucked away the resulting penalty on 16 minutes.

To their credit, Macc didn’t fold. Luke Duffy dragged them level with a fine strike from distance early in the second half, and for a spell the home side looked capable of going on to win it.

Iwunze settles it

Then Harrison Iwunze struck to restore Hereford’s lead. Any hope of a late Macclesfield fightback ended when Josh Kay picked up a second yellow card, leaving the Silkmen with nine men.

Hereford saw the game out comfortably from there. Aaron Downes was full of praise for his players and the travelling supporters afterwards.

Top of the pile

The win takes Hereford back to the summit on 26 points from 12 games. They’re two clear of Oxford City and Macclesfield, who both sit on 24.

Iwunze now has nine league goals and is joint-third in the division’s scoring charts. For a side built on defensive solidity, having a forward in that kind of form is a serious weapon.

Underrated and relentless

This Hereford side deserve more credit than they’re getting. Downes was named the division’s Manager of the Month for September, and it’s easy to see why. They’ve conceded just seven goals in 12 league games, the meanest defence in the National League North.

They’ve had their setbacks. The 3-2 FA Cup defeat at Step 4 Stafford Rangers, where Scott Bakkor scored twice, still stings. But their league form has been relentless.

There’s a feel-good factor around Edgar Street off the pitch too. West Ham and England forward Jarrod Bowen, a former Bulls player, stepped in over the summer to help fund a new drainage system for the pitch.

Discipline costs Macc

For Macclesfield, discipline is the issue. You don’t beat the league leaders with ten men, never mind nine. Manager John Rooney, August’s Manager of the Month, will want answers from his players this week.

There’s no time to dwell on it. Macc have an FA Cup first-round trip to League One Mansfield on 7 November to look forward to. Before that, they’ll have to regroup quickly in the league.

They also face a potential banana skin in the FA Trophy, with a trip to giant-killers Bridlington Town in the second round. Hereford, meanwhile, host Brackley Town in that round as they try to keep momentum on two fronts.