Rob Ramshaw’s first half thunderbolt stole the show as Moors ran out 2-0 winners over high-flying Macclesfield at The Leasing.com Stadium.
Moors opened the scoring through a drilled effort from Corey McKeown with just five minutes gone, before Ramshaw powered home an audacious volley nine minutes before the break.
The Silkmen had dominated possession in the early exchanges without creating anything of note, before Moors hit the front with their first foray into the Macclesfield half.
A lofted ball on the left-hand side found the run of McKeown inside the area, who wasted no time in thumping an effort low towards the bottom left corner, finding the net and giving loanee goalkeeper, Rogan Ravenhill, no chance.
The hosts had two chances to get themselves level in quick succession, but neither James Edmondson nor James Gale could get their efforts on target.
Ramshaw tried his luck from distance in the 24th minute following a good move which saw Olly Dyson drive through midfield. However, the strike from Ramshaw dropped just wide of the mark.
Moors then went close to doubling the lead through Glen Taylor. Mackenzie Heaney’s left-wing corner found the frontman at the back post, who put a downward header agonisingly wide.
Luke Duffy saw chances go amiss, first as his powerful effort flew wide of the mark, before his low ball across the face of goal was blocked soon after.
Ravenhill was called into action with 10 minutes of the first half remaining, as he had to tip Heaney’s inswinging corner over his own crossbar.
Moors went on to take the lead from the resultant set pice, as Ramshaw produced a moment of brilliance from just inside the area.
Heaney’s delivery was only half cleared by the hosts, as the ball fell to the Moors number 10 inside of the 18-yard box. Ramshaw caught the ball on his laces, and thumped home into the top left corner of the net to give Moors a sensational two-goal advantage with 36 minutes on the clock.
The Silkmen had a chance to pull one back on the stroke of half time when James Edmondson struck a free-kick towards the bottom right corner of the net, only to see Brad James get across to gather.
John Rooney’s side came out for the second half the stronger of the two sides, as Theo Chapman and Josh Kay had chances just a few minutes in, only for neither of their efforts to pose any real threat to James.
Substitute, Isaac Buckley-Ricketts looked to have halved the deficit just shy of the hour mark. His volleyed effort from inside the area smashed off the underside of the crossbar and then struck James on the back before dropping on to the line where it was smashed clear by Dan Jones.
Moors came forward down the right-hand side as Dyson intercepted a loose ball from a Macclesfield defender. The number 2 drove into the penalty area, before scooping a ball towards the far post, which evaded everyone and went behind for a goal-kick.
Silkmen captain, Duffy did well to find space on the right-hand side of the penalty area and fire a low driven ball across the face of goal, only to see it agonisingly missed at the far post, as the ball trickled behind.
Tommy Miller and Matty Dolan’s men went close to a third with 10 minutes to play, this time through substitute Junior Mondal. The winger found acres of space just to the right of centre on the edge of the area, before hitting a low effort towards the bottom right corner. However, a good save from Ravenhill saw the strike parried wide.
Both sides had chances as the game began to wind down. First through Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, who lashed an effort well over from inside the area, before Taylor’s first-time volley had to be blocked by a Macclesfield defender just two minutes later.
James was on hand to deny Silkmen sub, Carlos Dos Santos in injury time when he stood firm to claim a powerful strike from distance, before getting in the way of Gale’s low strike soon after.
Full Time: Macclesfield 0 Moors 2
Macclesfield: Ravenhill, Mattheson, Borthwick-Jackson, Menayese (Fensome 72), Pasiek (Lacey 68), Edmondson (Dos Santos 68), McHugh (Osborne 55), Kay, Chapman (Buckley-Ricketts 55), Duffy, Gale.
Subs not used: Dearnley, Griffiths.
Moors: James, Stephenson, Pollock, Jones, Hill, Dyson, Heaney, Mondal (Hancox 90), Ramshaw, McKeown, Taylor.
Subs not used: Johnson, Williams, Nouble, Docherty, Dolan.
Booked: Junior Mondal (71).
Attendance: 3,452 (126 Moors)
Referee: Jonathan Mackrey