MALKY: FA CUP POSITIVES AND LESSONS
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Malky Mackay wished Macclesfield Town the best of luck in the FA Cup following the late 2-1 home win that saw his young squad knocked out in the third round. But despite the frustrations of not being in the fourth round, the Cardiff boss was pleased by a number of his young stars at Moss Rose.
“We’re obviously disappointed to be out of the FA Cup, but we have to also give credit to Macclesfield who kept on going right until the very end. We wish them good luck in the next round,” he said.
“We picked a team that we felt was capable of winning the game and ended up with nine youngsters under twenty years old out there, five or six of them having an excellent run out for us overall. With five minutes to go we were winning the game, but what they’ve had, despite being very good in the main is a consistency lesson dished out from Macclesfield.
“The game wasn’t quite finished as it turned out and they have been shown that you have to play to your optimum levels until the final whistle.A little bit of lack of concentration, lack of discipline in that last five minutes lost us the game. It's something they will learn from, but I don't regret picking this team, I think they did wonderfully.
“I thought the three youngsters at the back were exceptional. Ben Nugent showed why he's been in my first team. I thought Adedeji was outstanding at the back in his first run out at this level. Young Declan is someone we've moved from being an outside-right to what I see is going to be a real prospect for this football club at left-back. He caught the eye at Northampton at the start of the season and again showed today he's beginning to really learn how to play the position.”
Finally, and with no sour grapes attached, Malky wasn’t too convinced by the penalty decision that gave Macclesfield the chance to make it through. Replays have shown the contact from Nat Jarvis to be minimal, but Mackay kept his council with a short reply.
“Was it a penalty? I'm not really sure,” he said. “There was a coming together of bodies but I'm still not sure.”
Highlights can be viewed on demand on Cardiff City Player on Sunday from midday.
