The Silkmen put in another disappointing away display in this 'winner stays in the league encounter', going down 3-2 to Accrington Stanley owed the victory to a stunning winning goal from Proctor.

Prior to the start of the game the crowd and officials marked the passing of Alan Ball with a wonderful one minute's applause. Buoyed on by a 5 bus convoy, boosting the away following to 700 plus Macclesfield welcomed back Jimmy McNulty and Danny Swailes. But it was Stanley who grasped the initiative, the game starting brightly for the home team who almost took the lead in the 9th minute when a corner was whipped in from the right was just cleared off the line by Alan Navarro. Stanley kept pressing forward, and after a shot was tipped over by Lee, deservedly took the lead from the resulting corner, Williams losing his marker and planting a downward near post header past Lee into the Silkmen's goal. 1-0

The lead could have been doubled two minutes later but the threat was averted by a last ditch tackle from Rob Scott. It was all the home side for the next fifteen minutes, the Silkmen winning their first corner of the game with over a quarter of the game gone. However Macc got back into the game with only their second real attack after a long free-kick was flicked on to find John Miles on edge of box, his well struck low shot finding its way through a crowded penalty area. 1-1.

Stanley were forced to make their first substitution when goal scorer Williams limped off to be replaced by Silkmen old boy Michael Walsh. After the goal the Silkmen had a good five minute spell and took the lead with 37 minutes on the clock after some great interplay between Matty McNeil and John Miles who, again from the edge of box fired home finding the top corner. 2-1. At this stage it was now the blues who were safe.

The Silkmen looked to be going into half time 2-1 up but in the third minute of added time Stanley won themselves a corner, which was again whipped in by the little right winger, finding Proctor unchallenged at the back post. His header looped over Lee and Navarro into the net. 2-2. The referee's whistle blew straight after restart. The Gaffer will no doubt have been disappointed that both goals had come from set plays.

The second half got off to the worst possible start when a failure to close down Proctor allowed the Stanley forward at advance from the half way line unchallenged and let fly way outside the area. His shot curled into the top corner. 3-2. Confidence dented the Silkmen struggled to get out of their half at times, the Stanley keeper rendered redundant.

In an attempt to change things the Silkmen made a double change with Jimmy NcNulty and Isaiah Rankin being replaced by Matthew Tipton and Martin Bullock . Sadly the subs didn't really kick start any moves for the Silkmen with the game been played in the middle of the sandy hard pitch. As the game wore on it looked like the home side where the only ones going to score and almost did after a Tommy Lee clearance was closed down quickly. Luckily for keeper the ricochet bounced away from goal and was finally cleared.

With time ticking away Rob Scott played a long ball down field, the ball then played into area by Miles but a lack of a call from both Matty McNeil and Matthew Tipton saw the chance come to nothing. Paul Ince made his final sub with minutes left taking off Navarro and bringing on Nick Blackman for his league debut. The final few minutes were played out in the corners by the home side until a long ball by Macc found McNeil who was fouled on edge of the semi circle, winning a free kick in the process. Up came Tommy Lee, putting himself about but there was no fairy tale ending and the whistle blew. Stanley's Football League status as safe leaving the Silkmen to contemplate a real nerve jangling affair against NottsCounty next weekend.

Dean Bamford