This result tells a story of a very close encounter between two teams who cancelled each other out.

The game was a very scrappy affair played on the first-team pitch at Moss Rose and chances were at a premium throughout the 90 minutes.

Latics were dealt a blow early in the game when full back Josh Rose went off injured adding to an increasingly long injury list and Chris Rowney had to come on and fill the right back spot vacated by Rose.

There was no really fluency to the game and both defences were on top where any real composure was missing from both teams. However, on half an hour, Latics' first real passage of inventive play led to Nathan Kilcourse playing Will McCall through, but unfortunately he hit the last defender with his shot when a little bit more composure should have led to the opening goal.

Ironically, within two minutes Macclesfield should have scored when a defensive mix-up between centre backs, Cowan and Esdaille led to the Macclesfield striker being clean through, but he fired wide when in a one-on-one situation with goalkeeper Josh Ollerenshaw.

The second half did become a little more stretched as players began to tire on the big pitch and it must be said that if both teams had a little more quality in the final third, more chances could, and should have been created.

Latics trialist striker, Scott Hogan was beginning to have more effect on the game and his general performance was very pleasing, considering it was his first game.

The game came to life in the last 10 minutes when half chances for the Latics through Kilcourse, Brooke and Hogan were not converted and then in the last minute of injury time, Josh Ollerenshaw pulled off a fantastic finger tip save to guarantee the young Latics a hard earned point.

Latics coaches, Tony Philliskirk and Mick Priest were pleased with the resolution of the team, but felt with a little bit more composure and quality in the final third they may have snatched a victory on another day.

However, bearing in mind, their increasingly long injury list, the fact that they had players coming back from injury and illness and a trialist playing, they felt they could take a lot of positives from the game in general.