Coca Cola League 2

MACCLESFIELD manager Paul Ince will have enjoyed seeing his side beat Peterborough more emphatically than 2-1 suggests.

Ince, a long-time friend of new Posh boss Darren Ferguson, looked on as the Blues took apart the visitors.

The Silkmen should have won by a more convincing margin, but were left hanging on and the three points were saved by a fine injury-time stop by Tommy Lee.

Lee had been at fault for the visitorsé equaliser but more than made amends with a low stop from a Gavin Strachan header.

Macc had the better of a quiet opening, with John Miles worrying the Posh back three and Kevin McIntyre willing to make overlapping runs beyond Martin Bullock on the left flank. Colin Heath also made a telling contribution, delivering a succession of crosses from the right.

Jamie Tolley suffered a back problem in the warm-up and he made way for flu victim Jordan Hadfield, Adam Murray taking the youngsterés place on the bench.

Although dominant, Macc couldnét convert their chances into goals, Alan Navarro and Miles both being foiled by Mark Tyler in the éBoro goal.

Bullock broke the deadlock moments before half-time. The former Barnsley man latched onto a poor back header from Craig Morgan and neatly lobbed Tyler to knock the ball into an empty goal.

Macc almost extended their lead after the break, Milesé cross just evading Januaryés star man, John Murphy.

Peterborough levelled through terrace target Aaron McLean, who twice hacked down Hadfield unnecessarily, although Dermot Gallagher saw fit to take no action against him.

McLean netted with a gift-wrapped chance, the ball falling kindly after Lee flapped at a left-wing cross from Josh Low.

Earlier in the campaign, the Silkmen may have capitulated after losing a deserved lead, but Alan Navarro restored this sterner squadés advantage on 55 minutes with his second goal in successive games.

Murphy had been a constant niggle to Posh and his harassment led to a half-clearance falling to Navarro, who let fly a fine 25-yard volley.

The Blues should have been out of sight before surviving an injury-time onslaught, with Murphy, Navarro, Bullock, Morley and substitute Izak Reid all narrowly failing to add to the scoreline.

Posh pushed on during the four minutes of injury time saw Milesé replacement James Jennings clattered by his own ékeeper as he came for a cross.

Lee then salvaged his game with the win-saving block, diving to his left to foil Strachanés header from the resulting corner.

Ferguson admitted: "We didnét create much and Macclesfield deserved to win."

A delighted Ince said: "We were awesome and there is now no team that we have to fear in the League."