Macclesfield Town jumped above Bristol Rovers at the foot of Division Three courtesy of two early goals. However, but for a magnificent last minute save from keeper Steve Wilson, they would have squandered a vital win.
Macclesfield took the lead in the eighth minute when Rovers centre-back Anwar Uddin clumsily pushed Kyle Lightbourne at a corner. Young striker Matthew Tipton grabbed the ball and slotted home a confident penalty low and to the left of Scott Howie.
The home side moved into cruise control in the 17th minute when a low shot from Danny Whitaker was deflected into the path of Chris Byrne. The midfield man moved the ball onto his left foot before calmly picking out the far corner from twelve yards.
Rovers showed little enterprise and only went close in the 43rd minute when centre-forward Paul Tait nodded a Chris Warren corner inches wide.
The away side were better after the break and clawed their way back into the game when sub Simon Bryant picked out the unmarked Wayne Carlisle. Wilson committed himself early allowing the striker to chip into the empty net.
Twice Macclesfield should have made the game safe in the closing stages, substitute Neil Robinson wasting a close range header before veteran Lightbourne shot straight at Howie from only six yards out.
It would have been an injustice if Rovers had grabbed a point but they nearly did in the last minute, only Wilson's magnificent acrobatic save to tip over an Adam Barrett curling drive saving the Silkman.
After the game, Macclesfield manager David Moss said: "It was a game typical of the well worn cliché, a match of two halves. We dominated the first half and looked a class apart but lost our concentration in the closing stages."