Coca-Cola League Two

A LAST-MINUTE goal virtually ended Macclesfield's hopes of automatic promotion against Southend at Moss Rose last night (Tuesday).

Alan McCormack's second goal in the 90th minute saw the Silkmen slip to their second successive defeat.

McCormack had already cancelled out Dave Morley's 28th-minute opener when he struck the killer blow with a clinical finish to leave the Cheshire club empty-handed.

Manager Brian Horton rang the changes before the game as Macc searched for their first win in six matches.

Graham Potter returned for Michael Welch after recovering from an ankle injury which had kept him out of Saturday's defeat at Lincoln, Matt Carragher replaced Tony Barras while Mark Boyd was handed his first start since his on-loan move from Gretna.

Jon Parkin nearly opened the scoring in the second minute with a spectacular overhead kick but was thwarted by an equally acrobatic save from Darryl Flahavan.

High-flying Southend then produced some polished approach play with their livewire midfielders neatly inter-changing to twice set up Lawrie Dudfield. First he headed wide before drilling a shot into the crowd.

Macc took the lead in the 28th minute when Matthew Tipton won a free-kick against his opposing skipper Adam Barrett.

Parkin's low, curling drive crunched into the foot of the post but the alert Morley struck home the rebound with a right-foot shot from eight yards, the defender's first goal since joining the Silkmen from Doncaster in January.

But the lead was short-lived. Alan McCormack escaped Graham Potter down the left flank before drilling a low shot under goalkeeper Steve Wilson just three minutes later.

Horton brought on John Miles at half-time for Carragher and the substitution nearly paid dividends in the 54th minute when he released Parkin who shot across the face of goal.

Southend, however, looked the more dangerous with Freddy Eastwood forcing a low save from Wilson and Luke Gutteridge hooking a volley just over.

Macclesfield threatened from set-pieces and an under-pressure Danny Swailes headed over from six yards on 66 minutes.

The visitors should have sealed the win in the 80th minute when Dudfield played a one-two with Eastwood but he bobbled his effort wide.

But it did not matter as McCormack struck in the last minute when he raced past a static defence to fire home the winner.

• Macclesfield Town: Wilson, Bailey, Potter, Carragher (Miles 45), Harsley (MacKenzie 78), Parkin, Tipton, Boyd, Morley, McIntyre, Swailes. Subs not used: Fettis, Welch, Townson. Booked: Morley. Star man: Danny Swailes.

• Southend United: Flahavan, Jupp, Barrett, Maher, Pettefer, Dudfield (Gray 82), Prior, Wilson, Eastwood, McCormack, Gutteridge. Subs not used: Nicolau, Edwards, Gower, Morgan.

Ref: A. Leake.

Att: 2,768.

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