Winsford United 4 Macclesfield 4, North West Counties League

Blues came back from 2-0 down inside eight minutes to achieve a 4-4 draw with title favourites Macclesfield in front of a decent crowd at Barton Stadium.

Among the near 1,000 spectators was football pundit and former Wales international Robbie Savage, who is Macclesfield’s director of football.

Picture: Bryn Jackson Photography

All the character and spirit that was shown by Lee Duckworth’s side in their ‘Savage reply’ showed how they won their own psychological battle after suffering a 5-0 loss at FA Cup opponents Charnock Richard in mitigating circumstances as the new North West Counties Football League season got underway three days previous.

Tom Clare’s first two of his four goals for the Silkmen, a new team with strong financial backing born out of the former Football League club that was wound up last year, could have left many a side floundering.

But Blues roared back with goals from Daniel Boden (33mins) and Matthew Boland (38), only to concede Clare’s hat-trick goal on the stroke of half-time.

Again Winsford did not allow that setback to unsettle them and fought back in style.

In-form striker Joe Duckworth levelled matters in the 56th minute.

Pictures: Bryn Jackson Photography

And then two minutes after Clare netted his second penalty to put the visitors ahead for a third time, Duckworth was again the man who hit the mark to seal for Winsford a first point of the season.