Macclesfield secured a dramatic 4-3 victory over South Shields on Saturday at the Leasing.com Stadium, with Danny Elliott’s late goal earning the hosts a comeback win that propelled them to the top of the league table.

South Shields began the match strongly, taking an early lead in the eighth minute. Paul Blackett was assisted by Cedwyn Scott to calmly slot the ball beneath Macclesfield goalkeeper Joe Dibble. The visitors doubled their advantage just four minutes later when Blackett turned provider, setting up Jordan Jones to fire a precise shot across Dibble into the far corner.

Macclesfield responded before the half-hour mark as Josh Kay capitalized on a cross from Elliott, directing the ball past South Shields goalkeeper Jasper Sheik. However, Shields extended their lead further when Scott executed a first-time strike, sending the ball low into the bottom left corner. The hosts pulled one back just before the interval thanks to Cameron Borthwick-Jackson’s powerful header from a Luke Duffy corner, cutting the deficit to 3-2 at halftime.

The second half opened with Macclesfield intensifying their pressure. Three minutes after the restart, Jon Ustabasi’s deflected shot looped over Sheik to level the score at 3-3. The turning point came in the 69th minute when Elliott, following a pass from substitute George Wilson, fired a precise left-footed finish past the Shields goalkeeper to put Macclesfield ahead for the first time.

Despite South Shields’ efforts to find an equalizer late in the match, including a deflected strike that forced an impressive reaction save from Dibble, Macclesfield held on for the victory.

John Rooney, Macclesfield’s manager, praised his team’s resilience, highlighting the collective effort and tactical adjustments made during the interval. “The character they are showing at the minute, every single one of them, and the lads that came on, they made a difference for us,” Rooney said. “We got them in at half-time and gave them a few key messages and in the second-half, we couldn’t have asked any more of them.”

South Shields manager Mike Williamson acknowledged the defensive lapses that led to the defeat despite his side scoring three goals away from home. “We are frustrating and we have got to defend better – it is unacceptable,” Williamson said.

The victory moves Macclesfield to the summit of the league standings, while South Shields will look to regroup following their narrow loss.