Macclesfield Town: Jon Brain, Izak Reid, Sean Hessey (John Rooney 68), Nat Brown, Paul Morgan (c), Lee Bell, Emile Sinclair (Ben Wright 58), Paul Bolland (Shaun Brisley 35), Ricky Sappleton, Craig Linfield, Colin Daniel

Subs: Jose Veiga, , Matthew Tipton, , Greg Mills, Matthew Lowe

Town: Dave Button, Joe Skarz, Graham Coughlan (c), Terry Dunfield, Craig Disley (Kris Bright 90), Kelvin Langmead, Dave Hibbert, Steve Leslie, Lewis Neal (Jake Robinson 67), Shane Cansdell-Sherriff, Kevin McIntyre

Subs: Jake Robinson, , Paul Murray, Chris Neal, Will Richards, Danny Taylor, Jon Taylor

Goal: S.Leslie

Ref: J Linnington~
Assistants: R Merchant & R Metcalfe
Fourth Official: P Norris

There are two changes to the Town line-up with Graham Coughlan returningfrom injury and Steve Leslie returning to the starting line-up, Jake Robinson and Danny Taylor drop down to the bench.The return of Coughs means Town have a strong looking back line but it remains to see who will slot in at right back, the smart money is on Kelvin Langmead.

It was the home side who had the best of the early chances with Craig Lindfield going close, first with an overhead kick in the box and then the ball came to him in a crowded box and he should have really done better with his snap shot which flew just wide of the post.Town then had two good chances of their own from he restart, Steve Leslie skipped through the Macc defence before attempting to roll the ball into the net but the defence recovered to put the ball behind for a corner.From that corner was swung over by Disley with the ball dropping at the back post onto a diving header from Coughlan but again the Macc defence held strong and put the ball behind for another Town corner.

Ref Linnington was doing his best to stop the flow of the game by blowing up for every little thing that he saw.This was highlighted when Dave Hibbert did really well to chase down the Macclesfield defence to win a corner for Town, but for some reason the ref called the decision Macclesfield's way for what he saw as a push on the defender.

The game had taken a lull with the half hour mark approaching but Town created a little bit of spark for the travelling fans.The ball was looped up high and Hibbert did well to bring it down and push play to Leslie, he took the ball in his stride and pushed towards the Macc goal, he breezed past the defender before drive a low cross across the face of goal but it just had a little bit too much on it and took it away from Hibbert who was coming in at the back post.

The ref was doing little to adhere himself to the Town faithful and when Dave Hibbert rose highest to challenge for a high ball with Morgan he seemed to win the ball fairly, but the ref blew up for a foul and for some reason produced a yellow card for the Town striker.

The half finished with a couple of decent long range efforts from Town, the first from Dunfield which brought a save out of Brain and then Joe Skarz drove in one from 30 yards that Brain fumbled around the post.

Half-time: 0-0

Macclesfield started the game well with Bell going close moments after the restart but then Town had had two good chances of their own.Brain had not really been tested in the first half but with less than 5 minutes on the clock he had to earn his corn with good stops from Dunfield and then from Hibbert following good work from Leslie.

A Macclesfield attacked broke down and the ball was with Button, he had been asking for options and this time there was with Dunfield available on the left, Button threw the ball quickly to put away down the left, he gave the ball to Disley to allow Town to counter well, the ball kept moving with Disley coming in field and then pushing it out to Leslie on the right, he held up play well and then put it onto his left and curled a superb ball over Brain and into the top of the net to make it

Town continued to push and push and try and add to their lead and had the chances to achieve this. Dave Hibbert pushed into the box and had a good sight of goal, but he had to wait and this allowed at Macclesfield foot in to nick the ball away for a Town corner.Then there were good chances for McIntyre and again Hibbert after good pressure saw the ball stick in the Macclesfield box.

Town were really taking the game to Macclesfield and were hitting them on the break on a regular basis.There were some good chances for the visitors the best after a quick throw found Disley, he looped the ball over into the run of Dave Hibbert who drove for goal, he hit a great shot that beat the dive of Brain but went the wrong side of the post.

The second half was the real opposite of the first half with both sides really looking to attack.Town had been hitting Macclesfield on the break and this forced Keith Alexander into making some changes to personnel and this saw the home side becoming more of an attacking force.

It was still a pulsating game with both sides looking to test their opposite keeper.Town were playing some good football and they combined well on a quick break with Dunfield and Disley linking up well to put Disley in behind the Macc defence, Brain was quick out of his goal but Disley dinked a great little ball over but it took a slight deflection to take it away from goal.at the back Town had to stay focused as the Silkmen were dangerous on the break and when they burst into the Town box there was a good sight of the Town goal but Shane Cansdell-Sherriff slid in for an important tackle.

Full-time: 1-0