MIRACLE worker Paul Ince gave Macclesfield fans their best Christmas present as his revitalised Silkmen dragged themselves off the foot of the Football League for the first time this season by thumping Chester.

Dead, buried and seemingly beyond resurrection when Ince took over in late October, Macclesfield are now unbeaten in eight games and have taken 13 points from the last 15 available.

And they have the little matter of £500,000 FA Cup away day at Chelsea awaiting them in the New Year.

But, despite his team's recent achievements, Ince remains modest.

"It's nothing really special; it just another step forward," he said. "I won't be happy until this club is safe and there is a long way to go yet.

However, the former Manchester United ace admitted: "When I looked at the last two fixtures, Swindon, who are near the top and Chester, who are always hard to beat, I felt that if we could four points, that would be great.

"So to get all six points is awesome.

"It's great psychological boost for us to move off the bottom, but it just means that the game at Torquay on Friday is real six-pointer and an absolute massive test."

Guarded

Ince remained guarded on the secrets of the success.

"First and foremost we have good players at this club," he said. "My staff and I watched them play before I came, and I would not have taken the job if I had not seen potential.

"They just needed some guidance, some self-belief and to get fitter and now we are seeing the rewards."

Making four changes from the side that beat Swindon, Ince saw new men John Miles and Matthew Tipton combine perfectly in the 10th minute for the opener.

The new slimline Tipton turned adroitly on a slide-rule Miles pass before thumping a low, hard shot into the far corner.

Referee Nigel Miller, a serving policeman, then took centre stage, first sending off Chester's Laurence Wilson for two yellow cards, before evening up the sides at 10 apiece by sending Macc's Jamie Tolley for an early bath.

This created more space and Chester looked like they might equalise after the break with Sean Hessey seeing a 20-yard drive deflected inches past the post, before Jon Walters headed narrowly wide from the resulting corner.

But in the 70th minute, teenage sub Izak Reid's marauding run earned a free kick which left-back Kevin McIntyre - a former Chester player - curled inside the far post from 25 yards as defence and attack failed to get a touch. On-loan striker John Murphy then put the icing on the Christmas cake with a stunning strike from the edge of the box for his fifth goal for the club.

Ince added: "Murph's enjoying his football and, though he's missed a few sitters, he seems to be scoring every week now and I definitely don't want to lose him."

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