Macclesfield 1 York City 3: Minstermen earn overdue away success

After early goals from Simon Heslop and Vadaine Oliver had put the visitors in the ascendancy, Danny Whitaker’s second-half penalty reduced the deficit for the Minstermen’s FA Trophy final opponents.

But veteran striker Jon Parkin settled matters on 83 minutes to earn Gary Mills’ men three vital points in their fight for survival.

York got off to a terrific start with the first shot of the night when skipper Heslop fired an unstoppable 20-yard thunderbolt into former Bootham Crescent team-mate Scott Flinders’ top-right corner on seven minutes.

The visitors then doubled their lead when Oliver ran after a long punt forward by on-loan keeper Scott Loach and lifted the ball over a stranded Flinders from ten yards out.

Oliver and Newton also went on to test Flinders from distance.

Macclesfield’s best first-half opportunities came on the stroke of half-time when Mitch Hancox’s 30-yard drive was beaten away by Loach and Danny Whitaker narrowly missed the target from the edge of the box.

After the break, Flinders made an excellent double save to deny Jon Parkin and Oliver.

But the home side pulled a goal back on 64 minutes after Dan Parslow was harshly penalised for handball from an Anthony Dudley header.

Whitaker went on to sidefoot the resulting penalty down the middle of the goal as Loach dived right.

Former Barnsley and Hull striker Parkin had the final say, though, bundling the ball home from close in after Hamza Bencherif had helped on a long throw by Sam Muggleton.

Macclesfield: Flinders, Halls, Pilkington, McCombe, Hancox, Browne, Norburn, Summerfield (Mackreth, 70), Whitaker, Holroyd, Dudley. Subs not used: Ross, Fitzpatrick, Byrne, James, Mackreth.

York: Loach; Parslow, Bencherif, Newton; Heslop (Holmes, 46), Hall, Moke, Whittle; Oliver (Muggleton, 66), Parkin, Morgan-Smith.

Subs not used: Rooney, Fenwick, Connolly.

Referee: Martin Coy

Man-of-the-match: Hamza Bencherif