With thanks to Gordon Foster at Rainworth

MACCLESFIELD manager Keith Alexander paid Rainworth the ultimate compliment on Thursday night when he not only sent a very strong side to Kirklington Road despite the Silkmen also having a home friendly against crack Chinese outfit Chengdu Blades, but also opted to attend the Rainworth game himself and leave his number two in charge at Moss Rose.

And the former Mansfield assistant manager and Lincoln and Peterborough boss was rewarded as the Wrens gave his full time professionals a good work-out before going down two two goals in two minutes just after the half-hour.

Macclesfield started with at least nine first team squad members in their line-up, while a 10th, England striker Wayne Rooney's younger brother John, figured for the entire second half.

As was to be expected, the visitors from fully six levels above the Rainworth, called the tune, although the Wrens were never threatened with being over-run, and put together some useful attacks of their own.

Alexander said afterwards: "I promised we would bring a decent team. It was a good work-out for our lads, but Rainworth did well also. I know Rudy Funk well, and I know his team will do very well in the league they are playing in. He knows what he wants and has had success everywhere he's been, so they'll do well.

"Both Macclesfield sides have gone out and got a result tonight - the other team drew 2-2 with the Chinese - so I'm delighted with that."

Wrens boss Rudy Funk added: "It was tremendous of Keith to bring such a strong side here. So often when League clubs visit teams at our level they send youngsters, but a huge thank-you to Macclesfield - they have done us so proud.

"For us obviously it was a big game against full time professionals, and we didn't play too badly and moved the ball about when we could. But when a club such as ours plays opposition of that quality they are always going to come second.

Home keeper Mark Hales was brought into action early on, doing well to block James Jennings' angled drive from the left of the area following a free kick, and another set piece in the 10th minute saw Kristian Dennis head over the bar from close in.

Hales did superbly well to deny Danny Thomas in a one on one in the 17th minute, but Rainworth were far from overawed and Jeffries was only just wide with a crisp drive from Brown's flicked on header.

Hales again showed his quality with another fine one on one save, this time from Dennis on 27, but the keeper was finally beaten five minutes later. JamieTolley, who had rejoined Macclesfield earlier in the week, profited from a rather luck rebound to get away along the left, and his quality cross gave Francis Green a fairly comfortable finish. Only two more minutes on, Macclesfield doubled their lead, Dennis scoring with a neat glancing header from Matthew Lowe's angled cross, and one expected the League club to turn the screw.

That didn't happen, although Hales again had to be at his best to tip aside Jennings' goalbound header from Thomas's centre five minutes before the break. Despite the deficit, Rainworth could feel well satisfied with their first half show, particularly in defence, as they went in for the break.

Among three interval changes, Town introduced Rooney for the second half, but for much of the period the game was confined to midfield, and with both sides making changes galore the pattern was understandably disrupted. Jeffries fired another strong effort into Jonny Brain's midriff on the hour, and then the visitors'deputy keeper Ryan Moss had to leave his area smartly to clear as Ashley Murdock chased a through ball.

RAINWORTH: Hales (Cooper 79), Hollis (Spencer 63), Thorpe (Blair 53), Wilkinson, Soar, Draper (Poxon 74), Naylor, Sweeney (Murdock 64), Brown (Wright 78), Jeffries, Wilson (Lillie 53).

MACCLESFIELD: Brain (Moss 64), Lowe (Perry 68), Jennings, Flynn, Torpey, Dunfield (King ht), Bell (trialist 56), Tolley (Rooney ht), Green, Dennis (Garvey 56), Thomas (trialist ht).

REFEREE: Uriah Rennie of Sheffield.

ATTENDANCE: 155.

GOALS: Macclesfield - Green 32; Dennis 34.