WITH yet another dire second-half display, Macclesfield edged closer to the drop-zone and put their Football League survival hopes in major doubt.
In a virtual carbon-copy of last week’s loss at Lincoln City, Macc once again folded meekly in the second half and were roundly booed off the field.
Again the Silkmen started the brighter of the two teams, Franny Green seemed particularly intent on putting Posh to the sword but he was twice denied by keeper Joe Lewis and sent a third effort high and wide of the target.
An ankle injury forced Green off in the closing moments of a half in which the hosts couldn’t force an advantage.
Posh had also had their moments, Charlie Lee and Chris Whelpdale each had two off-target attempts, the latter also seeing a goal chalked off for offside.
The impressive George Boyd, a thorn in Macc’s side throughout, forced Jon Brain into two excellent saves - the first a full-length tip over the bar, the second a close-range block with his legs.
The second half began disastrously for the hosts, and improved little. Within 30 seconds of the restart, Boyd pounced onto Whelpdale’s throw-in to force the ball past the helpless Brain.
The Posh pressure then mounted and Macc had no answers. Dean Keates saw a first-time shot go wide after substitute Luke Dimech’s mis-hit clearance, and Craig Mackail-Smith made sure that Brain kept warm with a fierce shot that he did well to stop.
The inevitable came on 65 minutes when a clearance fell to Whelpdale, who let fly a pinpoint curling shot that nestled in the corner of Brain’s goal.
With hope rapidly dimishing, Aaron McLean evaded Dimech’s attentions as Chris Westwood’s ball was in mid-flight, and the Football League’s leading scorer convincingly fired home his 23rd league goal.
Danny Thomas tested Lewis by firing a shot in anger with 10 minutes remaining, but Macc were outmuscled and outplayed by Darren Ferguson’s men, a fact not lost on the 2,000 fans jeering at the close of Macc’s sorry collapse.
