A point away to the joint leaders after a battling 0-0 draw on a rainy night in Macclesfield. The game’s defining moment being the red card for home defender Tom Wilson for a high boot in the face of Dom Tear in the 18th minute. The home fans were furious, but it evoked memories of last seasons clash with Macclesfield at Bridlington, when Boro’s Alex Purver was dismissed in almost identical circumstances.
Tom Wilson was on hand to hack clear when Tear and Rio Allan exchanged passes, the latter feeding Luke Hall, who crossed into the goalmouth. In Mac’s first attacks, Ryan Whitley grabbed a Luke Duffy cross off the head of Fin Shrimpton, Paul Dawson drilled a shot straight at Whitley, and Jake Hull blocked a Duffy strike. Alex Brown passed down the left to Luca Colville, who crossed into the Macc area, but Allan couldn’t guide the ball past the keeper, then came the red card incident, and shortly after Boro also lost a defender, when Brown hobbled off with a dead leg.
Down to ten men, Macc’s defensive set up was magnificent, and despite Boro having lots of possession, with Purver Hannan and Hall dictating midfield, they didn’t create many clear chances, and Macc were dangerous on the counter. A Tear through-ball sent Mo Fadera racing forward, but he was stopped by an Elliott Osborne tackle, and a long ball forward from Will Thornton found Fadera, whose cross was headed goalwards by Allan, but Ammar Dyer blocked. On the break, Macc created two excellent chances, both forcing top saves from Whitley, as he tipped over a close-range strike from Jon Ustabasi, then dived to push wide a fierce 25-yarder from Dyer.
Heavy rain greeted the start of the second half, and again Boro had lots of possession, but Macc were solid at the back. Jack Waldron passed to Colville, who fired over, and Tear glanced a header wide from a Hall cross. Hull rose to head over from a Waldron cross, and Maloney blazed a long-range shot over. For the hosts, Duffy scuffed a shot wide and also fired straight at Whitley, Hull blocked an Adan George strike, and Thornton and Purver Hannan got in some strong tackles to prevent further home attacks.
Purver Hannan won the ball, passed to Colville, who laid off for Kieran Weledji to poke a pass forward to Fadera, whose low shot was easily gathered by home keeper Christian Dibble. Hall teed up Maloney, whose shot was deflected wide by Shrimpton, and a Coville cross was volleyed over by Maloney. In Macclesfield attacks, Danny Elliott fired over and the pacy Ustabasi shot into the arms of Whitley. Late Boro chances saw Hall curl a shot over, and Hall dinked a pass to Fadera, but keeper Dibble made a decent save to block his shot.
