Macclesfield secured all three points in their final home game of the regular season.

Goals from Isaac Buckley-Ricketts and Lewis Fensome capped off a night of celebration at Moss Rose on Tuesday, April 21, as the Silkmen beat Southport 2-1.

Ahead of kick-off, club chairman Rob Smethurst was presented with the Freedom of the Town by Macclesfield Town Council.

Things looked like turning sour quickly when a misplaced pass by stand-in captain Sam Heathcote presented the visitors' number nine, Jordan Slew, with a golden opportunity that he was unable to capitalise on.

Macclesfield were dealt a blow just 20 minutes in, midfielder Josh Kay limping off to be replaced by Carlos Dos Santos.

Half an hour gone and James Gale looked to have broken through the Southport defence, although he will be thankful the linesman's flag was raised with his touch taking the ball into the gloves of the George Pickford.

Dos Santos then came close to opening the scoring, dancing through the visitors' defence before hitting the post.

Perhaps the best chance of the first half came 40 minutes in, Luke Matheson firing a ball across the box that Gale really should have put in the back of the net.

advertisement

Macclesfield welcomed Southport to the Leasing.com Stadium on Tuesday, April 21 (Credit: Nub News)

A promising start to the second half saw Buckley-Ricketts' curling effort deflect out for a corner, which resulted in little of note.

However, the winger would break the deadlock soon after, firing into the roof of the net as Southport's defence tried and failed to clear the ball.

Substitute Danny Lloyd levelled the score just after the hour mark, reacting quickly as Rogan Ravenhill let slip of what should have been a comfortable save.

Both sides pushed for a second, Elliot Osborne forcing Pickford into a decent save with his shot from near the penalty spot with quarter of an hour to go.

However, it was yet another player from the bench that would find the winner, Fensome powering the ball past Pickford, who had done well to deny Luke Duffy with just a few minutes of the 90 remaining.

Macclesfield travel to Radcliffe on Saturday, April 25, for their final game of the regular season.

They will then welcome whichever team finishes seventh to the Leasing.com Stadium on Wednesday, April 29, for the play-off eliminator B game.

advertisement