The Silkmen secured a 3-1 victory on their return to Enterprise National League North action on Tuesday evening against Peterborough Sports at the Leasing.com Stadium.
Macc remained unchanged from Saturday’s success in the Emirates FA Cup First Round, having got the better of Enterprise National League South side AFC Totton.
It was the visitors who started brightest and took the lead inside five minutes through Sam McLintock, who half-volleyed home from the edge of the area after failing to clear our lines.
The Silkmen were very nearly gifted a leveller after a mix up at the back just four minutes later between goalkeeper Peter Crook and Anthony Stewart, which saw an attempted clearance ricochet back off each of them and almost spin back in to the Turbines’ goal.
Danny Elliott saw two efforts fly narrowly wide of the target in relatively quick succession following the visitors opener, though wasn’t able to get Macc back on level terms.
The Silkmen were limited to minimal chances for the remainder of the half with Peterborough playing hard ball, and were keen to keep it tight in order to retain their slim lead.
The opposition hurried Macc in to each and every decision made with heavy pressure instigated by a high line from the Turbines as they attempted to nullify the home side from playing their usual possession based football.
A great chance did however fall Justin Johnson’s way mid way through the half though, as he latched on to a driven cross from Josh Kay though could only turn his attempt on to the far post.
Paul Dawson was then able to create an opportunity from almost nothing as he cut back inside when shaping to shoot and saw his eventual effort blocked by Stewart and forced behind for a corner.
Dawson again had an opportunity to level proceedings after another Josh Kay cross fell kindly for him inside the area, though was vitally denied by the body of Marcel Oakley.
With Macc gradually growing back in to the game, though so far squandering their chances, Luca Miller almost doubled the visitor’s lead against the run of play, thankfully Fensome was on hand to make a brilliant block to keep the Silkmen in contention.
Paul Dawson tried his luck once before the break as his speculative effort forced a back-pedalling and unsure Crook to tip over to spare his blushes. Sam Heathcote’s header was then cleared off the line from the resulting set piece, as a Silkmen leveller began to seem a matter of when, rather than if.
Dawson was unsurprisingly the instigator of the eventual equaliser, who did everything he could to keep a move on the edge of the box before poking through to D’Mani Mellor, who found the far corner with a first time effort to restore parity with the last kick of the half.
With the momentum in their favour, the Silkmen began the second half brightly and were evidently eager to go one further, with Dawson once again leading the brute force of the attacks, forcing Crook in to a smart stop with the closest of them.
Josh Kay was at his creative best once again after recording two assists on Saturday and a performance worth of MOTM in any other scenario without a Danny Elliott first half hat-trick, who found Saturday’s treble goalscorer, but couldn’t yet repeat the same feat, blazing over from a tight angle.
Justin Johnson was replaced by Luke Duffy just after the hour mark, who had an instant impact as his deep cross was met by Danny Elliott at the back post, who rose highest to head home from point blank range, continuing his red hot form in front of goal!
Desperate not to concede in the aftermath of Elliott’s goal as has become a frustrating habit in recent weeks, the Silkmen were throwing their bodies in the way of every attempt to ensure there was no way back for Peterborough, with Luis Lacey clearing off the line after Dearnley’s latest parry.
Once seemingly beyond the point of vulnerability, Mellor lead the charge at the other end as Macc then looked to double their advantage, with the number nine firing just wide of Crook’s near post.
Elliott almost doubled his tally and the Silkmen’s lead as he held off his opposite man before attempting to dink over an onrushing Crook, who did just enough to turn the ball behind.
Ashton Fox was then giving his marching orders via a second yellow with five minutes to go as he wiped out D’Mani Mellor on the break, leaving the Turbines a man down for the final five.
Further insult was added to injury just three minutes later when Mark Jones was also shown a red card for an off the ball incident, reducing Peterborough to nine for the six minutes of additional time.
Following the double dismissal, it seemed inevitable that Macc would seal the deal before the final whistle and did exactly that via Paul Dawson who calmly swept home a defence splitting through ball from James Edmondson to virtually end the contest midway through stoppage time.
Danny Elliott was withdrawn with a minute of the injury time remaining, and replaced by Max Woltman, to make his second Silkmen appearance in as many days.
The Silkmen move up to 8th in the Enterprise National League North, sitting just outside the playoffs only on goal difference, with a game in hand on the teams above, and face AFC Telford United next at the Leasing.com Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Attendance: 2,546
MOTM: Luis Lacey
