Battling Macclesfield were denied their second away win in four days by an undeserved equaliser from a desperate Crewe side.

Gary Simpson’s men had won the clash of cultures with their more direct approach carving out the better chances.

It had seemed they would take all three points when striker Tyrone Barnett cruised onto a Lewis Chalmers corner in the 52nd minute to send a bullet header to the roof of the net.

The tough tackling Blues then took the game by the throat with Barnett seeing a goal disallowed for a push in the box and Colin Daniel firing a rising drive wide of the upright.

With Macclesfield looking that the hard work had been done a shot from Nick Powell fell luckily to A-Jay Leitch-Smith, who poked home from 12 yards.

Crewe had their best spell midway through the first half but for all their cute calculating football they couldn’t create anything inside the box only going close with Ashley Westwood firing over the bar and then wide of the upright.