MACCLESFIELD virtually guaranteed a play-off spot and kept alive their hopes of automatic promotion with their first win in seven games against Mansfield.

The Silkmen lead eighth-placed Northampton by six points with a superior goal difference and only two games left. And, crucially, they have closed the gap to just four points on Scunthorpe, who are third.

Two goals in four second-half minutes from Matthew Tipton and Dave Morley sealed the points for the Mose Rose club after Stagsé Callum Lloyd had cancelled out Jon Parkinés 25th goal of the season.

Brian Horton had said his side needed an ugly win after Southend grabbed a last-minute winner last Tuesday - and, at times in the first half, it certainly wasnét pretty.

Macc struggled to find the fluency which has characterised much of their play this term, but results are all that matter at this stage of what has been a magnificent season for the Silkmen.

And there were signs in the final half-hour that the players had rediscovered the form which saw them surge up the table with a run of eight victories out of nine from late January.

éThe three points were just what we needed after Tuesday night - that was the major thing,é said an upbeat Horton, who brought back Neil MacKenzie against his former club and handed Danny Whitaker his first start since January 1 as he switched to a 4-4-2 formation.

éIn the first half we were very apprehensive but the second half was much better.

éThis time last year we still needed points to stay in the League but now we are in with a chance of automatic promotion - ités fantastic.é

Top-scorer Parkin had fired the Silkmen into a sixth-minute lead when he wrong footed goalkeeper Jason White with his 25-yard free-kick. But Macc failed to capitalise on their early advantage and they were fortunate to see Giles Cokeés shot rebound off the upright after Steve Wilson had let it dip under his body.

The Silkmen shot-stopper has been in inspirational form of late but looked unusually out of sorts when he fumbled Lloydés speculative effort on 42 minutes. And it was an uncharacteristic error from the in-form goalkeeper which allowed the visitors to level when he let Lloydés innocuous 25-yard effort squirm in on 56 minutes.

That mistake seemed to galvanise the home side into life and MacKenzie should have hit back immediately when he bring down Parkinés cross with a superb first touch but dragged his shot wastefully wide.

However, Macc were back in front on the hour mark after a glorious move. A crunching Paul Harsley tackle won the ball in the centre circle, Tipton swept it out wide to Parkin and burst into the six-yard box where he glanced his strike-partnerés cross past White.

Four minutes later Morley met Mark Boydés corner with a looping header to seal the points for a resurgent Macc. It was the defenderés second goal in a week after he struck his first for the club against Southend four days earlier.