Macclesfield 0 Boston 0

Last updated : 09 August 2003 By Footymad Previewer

Boston manager Neil Thompson slammed the officials and not his strikers after his side threw away a golden opportunity for an opening away win.

Clearly frustrated after seeing a bucket full of opportunities go begging he said: “Peter Duffield’s shot that came back off the underside of the crossbar was a foot over the line and we had three clear calls for a penalty turned down.

“The officials didn’t help us today. We played some super stuff the only thing we didn’t do was score.' Macclesfield manager David Moss admitted that it was a point won and not two lost. “Boston were hard to break down and created two or three excellent chances,” he admitted.

“But I’m delighted to have kept a clean sheet. However I know and my players know that we didn’t play as well as we can today.” Boston might have taken the lead as early as the first minute only for Graham Potter to curl a free kick inches wide. Macclesfield's John Miles then forced a sharp reaction save from Paul Bastock before Boston started to dominate.

In the 17th minute Potter chipped a shot just over the bar and five minutes later Duffield smashed a shot into the side netting.

Macclesfield were lucky to escape in the 37th minute when Matt Haddrell gifted the ball to Stuart Douglas only for the striker to race clear before crashing a shot narrowly wide.

Duffield should have scored in the 60th minute but with only on loan keeper Boaz Myhill to beat he slid the ball again past the post. He was even more unlucky seven minutes later when a fierce long-range drive cannoned off the underside of the bar onto the goal line and then into the waiting arms of the thankful Myhill.

Macclesfield could have stolen an undeserved winner when debut striker Martin Carruthers slashed a 15-yard drive into the side-netting but that would hardly have been fair.