Macclesfield 0 Brentford 1: Own goal books Bees’ place in FA Cup fifth round

A second-half Sam Heathcote own goal saw Brentford edge past a spirited Macclesfield 1-0 in the FA Cup fourth round.

The hard-fought victory against the National League North side sets up a fifth-round tie away at West Ham United for the Bees.

Keith Andrews made seven changes to the team who drew 1-1 against Premier League leaders Arsenal on the previous Thursday evening, with Kaye Furo named in the starting XI for his debut having signed from Club Brugge in January.

Michael Kayode, Vitaly Janelt, Yehor Yarmoliuk and Mathias Jensen were the four to retain their place in the side, while B-team trio Luka Bentt, Ollie Shield and Josh Stephenson were named amongst the substitutes.

Backed by a vocal home crowd at Leasing.com Stadium, it was the hosts who had the first real chance but, after intercepting a pass 30 yards out from goal, Luke Duffy blazed a wild left-footed effort high and wide of Hákon Valdimarsson’s goal.

Romelle Donovan, lining up on the right of a front three with Furo and Reiss Nelson, cut inside from the corner of the box and saw a shot blocked before, at the other end, Silkman skipper Paul Dawson sent a low drive narrowly wide of the bottom-left corner.

A Jensen set-piece created the opening goal in the 2-0 third-round victory against Sheffield Wednesday and the west Londoners went close to repeating history in Cheshire. The Dane delivered a teasing free-kick to the near post, with none of his team-mates able to get a clean strike on goal before the hosts scrambled clear.

Furo had a first sight on goal with just under half an hour played, with the young striker meeting Janelt’s cross from the left flank and heading over the top of the target.

Macclesfield continued to look organised and resolute in defence, although goalkeeper Max Dearnley was tested for the first time 10 minutes before the interval. Aaron Hickey battled well, riding a couple of tackles to reach the byline and pick out Nelson. The Arsenal loanee took a touch out of his feet but saw his effort parried away.

The final chance of the first half went the way of the Silkman. James Edmondon’s left-footed free-kick from the right side hit Hickey in the chest, and the Scotland international did well to get himself in the way of a snapshot from Duffy.

Brentford tested their hosts with a couple of well-worked corners early in the second half. The first, from the right side, was played short by Janelt to Jensen, who beat two defenders with a dummy before clipping a cross into the six-yard box. Macclesfield cleared only as far as Yarmoliuk, who saw a well-hit volley blocked behind.

From the resulting corner, Nathan Collins got across his man at the front post but saw a glancing header drift wide of the corner.

The west Londoners continued to turn the screw with Jensen involved in the next opening. He darted through a gap before dinking a cross to the back post, where Furo’s header took a touch off of Donovan before being caught by Dearnley.

Brentford continued to deliver a series of dangerous crosses into the box and with 20 minutes to go, they got their reward. Hickey reached the byline on the left side and his dangerous cross was headed into the back of his own net by Heathcote under pressure from Furo.

Donovan could, and perhaps should, have put the tie to bed 10 minutes later. He turned his man on the right wing and drove into the box before blasting over the bar.

And the Bees survived a scare at the other end 60 seconds later. A cross from the right side fell to D’Mani Mellor eight yards from goal and the Macclesfield no.9 saw two shots blocked by Kayode before the Bees cleared the danger.

Dango Ouattara, introduced moments after the opening goal, saw a right-footed shot blocked and Collins headed over the top from another Hickey cross as stoppage-time neared.

Bentt was introduced for his Brentford debut in the dying moments and Yarmoliuk spurned a chance to make it 2-0 with the final kick of the game as the Bees booked their place in the fifth round.

Macclesfield (4-4-2): Dearnley; Fensome (Matheson 71), Heathcote, Lacey, Borthwick-Jackson; Edmondson, Dawson, Osborne (Johnson 85), Duffy; Buckley-Ricketts (Gale 68), Mellor

Subs: Menayese, Griffiths, Dos Santos, Whitehead, Paisek, Stone

Brentford (4-3-3): Valdimarsson; Kayode, Collins, Pinnock, Hickey; Janelt, Yarmoliuk, Jensen; Donovan (Bentt 90+5), Furo (Ouattara 71), Nelson (Lewis-Potter 61)

Subs: Balcombe, Ajer, van den Berg, Henry, Shield, Stephenson