Skelmersdale United manager Paul McNally says his side are under no pressure ahead of their top-of-the-table clash with Macclesfield.
It is the hottest ticket in town on Saturday as Skem travel to Danny Whittaker’s side looking to stretch their lead at the top of the table to three points.
Danny Mitchley’s last-gasp winner against Congleton Town saw McNally’s side go top as Jordan Darr dented Macclesfield’s title push with his strike two minutes from time.
Skelmersdale go into the tussle confident after the late show last time out but McNally has cooled the magnitude of the game.
“We could’ve been out of sight in the first half, first 60 minutes, could’ve three or four maybe 5-0 up and we just stopped, it’s like we died after 60 minutes,” he told Off The Park.
“They got a free-kick that wasn’t a free-kick, they’ve scored it and it life’s them and for the rest of that half they were the better team.
“They equalised, I’d made one sub, we seemed to be getting overran, I knew the score at Macclesfield at the time that it was 1-0, I didn’t want to lose any ground so I gambled and went for the opposite of a 4-3-3, a 3-3-4, we rode our luck a little bit, obviously Danny Mitchley come to the rescue and pokes it in.
“The relief then was immense. Sometimes you need games like that to flip on the head and go for you, it was like the pendulum swung and it was great. When I came off the pitch I found out Wythenshawe had dropped points and Macclesfield, there was feelings of relief and joy.
“We deserved to win, for most of the game we were the better team. For the last 30 minutes, they’ll feel aggrieved they haven’t come away with something, we were our own worst enemy, we could’ve been out of sight. They were unfortunate [at the end] but we were well worth the win.
“He’s [Danny Mitchley] been immense, he’s got a new lease of life. It’s nice that he’s been scoring goals because he deserves it.
“He’s trying to drag some of the lads through it, some lads haven’t been in this position before, it’s not just him; Kenny Strickland, Michael Grogan, Ben Barnes they’re using their experience, I’ve brought in Shaun Holden, these are lads that have been in title-winning teams or on the verge of it so they know what we need to see us through.
“It lifted the club, there was about 100 kids surrounding us, the fans were superb, it gives us a position we haven’t been in legitimately in the season, albeit on goal difference but there’s no pressure on us we’re not meant to be in this position.
“The lads are full of confidence, there’s a belief in the team that we can go there and do a job, I’d love to go there and win, it’s not as imperative as it was a few weeks ago when we had to beat them to catch up.
“We’re taking this game as it is, it will be a fantastic advert for non-league football, two teams going at it. We’ve come from a few rungs down to where we are we now, hopefully we can do it.”
