Ryan Loft seals win for Carlisle

Posted Sunday, November 03, 2019 by PA

Substitute Ryan Loft snatched an important three points for Carlisle when his late goal enabled the Cumbrians to beat visitors Macclesfield 2-1.

Theo Archibald had given Macclesfield the lead before Harry McKirdy levelled in first-half injury-time after Joe Ironside had missed a penalty for the Silkmen.

The decisive moment in a finely balanced game came in the 82nd minute when Leicester loanee Loft was rewarded for his persistence by a breakaway goal.

Macclesfield enjoyed a good share of the ball in the early stages and Corey O’Keeffe stung Adam Collin’s palms with a rasping effort from the left side of the area.

The Silkmen went in front in the 25th minute after Collin’s fine stop from an Ironside shot proved all in vain as Archibald regained possession to hammer a shot past the Carlisle goalkeeper from just inside the area.

Macclesfield should have gone two-up five minutes later when the referee spotted a handball by Mike Jones in the Carlisle defensive wall at a free-kick.

But Ironside’s spot-kick lacked pace and Collin was able to scramble across his goal to save low down by the right-hand post.

There was a slice of fortune about Carlisle’s equaliser. Nathan Thomas’ corner low to the near post struck a defender on the line and rebounded back off the head of McKirdy into the net.

By comparison Macclesfield’s luck was out in the 63rd minute when Ben Stephens nodded home from inside the six-yard box after Archibald’s shot had struck the underside of the bar, only for the visitors’ striker to be ruled offside.

Loft made it 2-1 to Carlisle in the 82nd minute when he charged down a clearance by Fiacre Kelleher and strode clear before slipping the ball wide of the advancing Owen Evans.