MACCLESFIELD Town manager John Askey admits that confidence within the team is extremely high after the late 2-1 victory over Hartlepool.

The Silkmen came out on top in the game at Victoria Park after goals from Ryan Lloyd and Keith Lowe in the final five minutes.

Askey was delighted to come out on top, and says that the team deserve credit after the comeback.

"It gives everybody confidence, to come from behind, and it’s always difficult away from home especially against Hartlepool who are a decent side, so it has been a good week," he said.

"Hartlepool have got some decent players and on another day they might have won the game.

"That is the case for most games but I was just pleased how we kept going and towards the end it was us who looked more likely to score than Hartlepool."

The win saw Macc keep up their impressive form away from home, but Askey felt the victory could have been achieved a lot earlier than it was.

"The away record is fantastic and I think that’s about eight wins now this season.

"It was really pleasing to get a goal at the end, but I thought we should have had a blatant penalty before that," he said.

"That would’ve taken us 2-1 up so full credit to our players who have worked their socks off again."

Macclesfield are now third in the National League table, having picked up 41 points from their 23 games, and Askey says he would have taken that at the start of the campaign.

"We are on 41 points now at the halfway stage. We would have settled for that at the start of the season,” he said.

"At times we played good football against Hartlepool and there were one or two chances that we could have put away but it’s nice to come away with the win.”

Macclesfield will try to build on their victory when they return to the Moss Rose on Saturday for a home game against fellow promotion contenders Wrexham, which is live on BT Sport.

Wrexham are one point and one place above Macc in the table, with just goal difference separating them from top of the table Sutton United.

Wrexham head into the match on the back of a win, having defeated Maidenhead United 2-0 over the weekend, with former Silkmen player Chris Holroyd on the scoresheet.