IT’S OH SO SILKY FOR MACC ON THE ROAD

MACCLESFIELD demonstrated their red-hot National League promotion credentials once more with a clinical 2-0 win at Holker Street.

The Silkmen kept pace with leaders Dover with one of the easier wins anyone will claim in South Cumbria this season.

Goals from Jared Hodgkiss and Elliott Durrell sealed the three points to put an end to a run of three defeats in all competitions for Macc, while new Barrow boss Ady Pennock – who was able to show off new signing Grant Holt – now has a better idea of the task facing him in climbing the table.

Macclesfield boss John Askey was pleased to come away from one of the toughest places in the league with three points, and said: “I thought we played well again.

“We were slow to start in the first 10 minutes, but once we got going, we caused Barrow problems and we did well to contain them. We came here to win.”

It had been the home side who had started the game the better, with Adi Yussuf and Bedsente Gomis both having chances, one saved by Shwan Jalal and the other wide of the target.

But it did not take long for Macclesfield to settle, as Scott Wilson had an effort saved by Stuart Moore and Hodgkiss flashed wide from the right with a 20-yarder.

Ryan Lloyd shot wide for Macc, Yussuf beat the off-side trap and Jalal, but saw his effort go past the far post, before another effort for the Barrow man was snapped wide. It was a good goal that broke the deadlock, as a flowing move down the right ended with Hodgkiss in space in the area and firing past Moore and into the far corner. Scott Burgess scooped over looking for a second, but there were chances for the hosts late in the half as Asa Hall headed wide and Yussuf was twice off target. Yussuf did force a good save from Jalal early in the second half, but Macclesfield were the more likely to score. Wilson shot wide, as did Burgess after a scramble, before Durrell made it 2-0 with a sublime curled finish from the edge of the area into the top corner. Holt came off the bench to loud applause, but he could do nothing to help craft a goal, despite several chances. The new player/coach recognised the problem the side face, and said after the game: “I think we just weren’t ruthless enough in both boxes. In the first half, Adi had two or three really good chances, and if he sticks one in, the crowd are up and that’s that. “The lads kept on going and we had a couple of chances at the end. If we had put one of them in, it could have been a grandstand finish.”