Macclesfield Town were unable to repeat the magic of Crystal Palace who won the FA Cup last month, with Sam Heathcote’s own goal taking Brentford into the fifth round in a heated game at Moss Rose.
Premier League side Brentford were 116th above the National League North side at the start of the night, one place below the Palace side who famously bowed out to Macclesfield in the third round, but John Rooney’s part-timers dominated the first half, reversing the rift between the two sides.
A Bees side that made seven changes could not match the will or skill of a Macclesfield side with a giant-killing flair and the promise of a fifth-round trip to West Ham.
However, they were unable to take the lead before the break and were unable to maintain a ferocious tempo as the match progressed.
Keith Andrews’ side were far from top-flight, but they set up camp in the final third and explored until something fell their way. It happened in the 70th minute when Aaron Hickey found space on the left and fired a cross that the hapless Heathcote struggled to avoid seeing his own keeper.
Macclesfield failed to capitalize on their liveliness in the first half.
Macclesfield dominated the first period, attacking every ball with the intention of keeping their more attractive opponents at bay. The only thing they failed at was finding the net.
The tone was instantly set less than a minute after Isaac Buckley-Ricketts won a free-kick and Paul Dawson headed it home. Both players were scorers against Palace and were ready to repeat that feat.
Brentford’s revamped eleven, on the other hand, looked slow and disorganized, causing the home side a nuisance in their haste. Luke Duffy did a particularly good job of squeezing out space, collecting one very ill-judged pass over the edge of the area before firing.
In the 18th minute, a double act between Duffy and Dimani Meller found Yehor Yarmoljuk in the pocket, and Dawson had a clear shot at the goal. The captain drove from 20 yards to go, but when the atmosphere increased even more in response, it went agonizingly wide.
The Bees were timid in comparison, frequently targeting the quick feet of Romell Donovan on the right, but they were unable to get much better than the scramble for the goalmouth and the wayward header of debutant Kei Flo, recently signed from Club Brugge.
Their error numbers increased again when Vitaly Janert slipped under pressure from Duffy and dragged him in with space open at the back. A yellow card followed, but he could have avoided something much worse.
A rare break for Brentford saw Max Darnley make a good save from Reiss Nelson, but the half-time stalemate pleased the visitors.
The tempo changed after the restart, with Brentford causing problems with successive corner kicks and two threatening crosses not being converted, ultimately putting them under pressure.
Corner kicks continued as Macclesfield fell back, one of which came when Matthias Jensen’s chipped pass into the box followed and tipped Darnley.
A moment of indecision from goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson almost forced Macclesfield to bring in substitute James Gayle, but the decisive goal came moments later. Hickey broke in on the left and fired a cross, but Heathcote made first contact and sent a header into his own goal.
The crowd roared in hopes of an equaliser, after a penalty call for handball against Michael Kayode was wasted.
Two brave blocks prevented a fairy-tale extra time as Mellor secured a good position in the penalty area, but Brentford’s breakaway in the dying minutes prevented a difficult second goal.
What the managers said…
Macclesfield manager John Rooney:
“I couldn’t be more proud. Days like this are the reason you have a part.
“It was an incredible gesture for their manager to come into our dressing room after full-time. He spoke highly of us. What I saw in myself, the players and the manager was a real sense of unity that we had for us.
“We’re a close-knit group and I think that goes a long way in football. I’m proud to go and repeat Crystal Palace’s performance. It’s incredible that a club of our level can go toe-to-toe with two teams in the Premier League.”
Speaking about Heathcote, who appeared distraught after unknowingly giving the decisive touch, Rooney said: “All the players are a bit depressed and Sam is no different.
“That’s understandable. They just lost a football game and it’s going to take a little bit of time, but they all know what they achieved.”
Brentford manager Keith Andrews:
“I really respect their way of playing and their spirit and it was very impressive.
“(I told them) I respect what they have achieved and the journey they have taken. I love the English football pyramid, I have played there a lot and coached in many places. I love what it stands for.”
“This club is going in a really good direction and I love stories like that. It fills my heart. They were very nice and gave us a proper cup tie that most people would have enjoyed… but I can’t say I did!
“From Arsenal to Macclesfield… it’s a big change for sure. The fact is Arsenal are top of the Premier League and Macclesfield are level six, so it’s a big change. There’s no point in saying anything else.
“It’s going to be a mental test and it’s a completely different type of game to what we’re used to. Everyone except the Brentford fans wanted us to lose, but it was a completely different game for us.”
