Squires Gate 6 Macclesfield FC 4: Record attendance witnesses an FA Cup classic

An attendance of 738 saw Gate progress after an extraordinary game of football, which began with James Boyd being denied by visiting keeper Ben Pierce inside the first minute.

It was Macclesfield who went ahead on three minutes when Aaron Dwyer found space inside the area and fired past Mike Hale.

However, they went down to 10 men on 11 minutes after Ekow Coker brought down Boyd as the last defender.

Gate took advantage of their extra man as Kieran Feeney netted on 13 minutes before Josh Westwood headed home eight minutes later to put them 2-1 ahead.

Ryan Riley’s excellent block preserved Gate’s lead, only for Macclesfield to level on 39 minutes through Dwyer’s superb volley.

With the score 2-2 at half-time, Macclesfield led again on 49 minutes when Kielen Adams found the net.

Dean Ing and Ollie Burgess were both thwarted but the former made it 3-3 on the hour with a clinical finish.

Moments later, he scored a second when firing home from Jacob Ridings’ fine pass to see Gate 4-3 up.

It became 5-3 on 70 minutes as Boyd fired in via the far post, only for Westwood to head into his own goal three minutes later.

Just when it looked as if Macclesfield were back in the game at 5-4, substitute Jack Iley brilliantly volleyed into the top corner for Gate’s sixth.

There was still time for Macclesfield to be reduced to nine men when Kieran Kennedy was sent off for a high challenge, allowing Gate to finish the job comfortably.

Squires Gate: Hale, Riley, Riding, Welsh, Bartram, Westwood, Burgess, Webster, Feeney, Ing, Boyd. Subs: Holden, Pollard, Mekkaoui-Abouzaid, Iley, Wyres-Roebuck, Garrett, Abankwah.

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