Arthur Gnahoua hands managerless Macclesfield victory over Cambridge

Posted Sunday, January 05, 2020 by PA

Managerless Macclesfield lifted some of the gathering gloom with a 1-0 win at home to Cambridge.

With former boss Daryl McMahon having resigned on Thursday, the Silkmen were led by club favourite Danny Whitaker.

And League Two’s much-troubled club put aside their off-field woes as they dominated the first half, leading through Arthur Gnahoua’s fifth-minute goal.

A free-kick on the corner of the Cambridge box was hit low inside the near post by Gnahoua, a strike that U’s keeper Callum Burton will not want to see again.

The hosts had other chances, with Jay Harris firing wide, Gnahoua’s goal-bound effort deflected wide and Joe Ironside narrowly missing the target.

Cambridge’s best chance of the first half fell to former Macc midfielder Paul Lewis but Fiacre Kelleher was perfectly-placed to head his effort off the line.

Lewis wasted the visitors’ best opportunity of the second period, crashing his close-range finish against the post after Sam Smith’s header had set him up beautifully.

And after surviving that scare, Macc – for whom Fraser Horsfall had been denied a goal by an offside flag – were good value for their first victory since October.