The battling performance may have lacked the quality football produced of late but the resilience shown in their defensive duties shows that they are equally capable of grinding out a result when required.

Keeper Peter Keen is growing in confidence with every game and the effect on the back four is evident as the Cumbrians are now proving difficult to break down.

Coach Tony Elliott was pleased with the point and said after the game: “We were looking for that second goal and when it didn’t come we sat back a little bit and they nicked the equaliser and it was a battle towards the end. They pushed three up front and put a bit more pressure on the back players and squeezed us back towards our own goal. We played some good football as we have for a few weeks now. We just need a bit of luck. There were times in the second half where we broke through and the ball just hasn’t run for us. If we can get that second goal we can finish teams off easily. The boys were disappointed and they want to win games. We come to a place like Macclesfield and get a point and the lads believe they should be winning.”

Early Macclesfield dominance failed to bring any goals with Lee Glover and Chris Byrne testing Keen, but with 19 minutes gone the Cumbrians should have taken the lead.

A Brendan McGill through ball put Richie Foran clear but on rounding keeper Steve Wilson the Irish striker could only pull his shot across goal with no support to take advantage.

The Silkmen had a strong penalty appeal turned down with 33 minutes gone as Byrne appeared to be tripped by Mark Birch.

As Macclesfield started to turn the screw Keen saved from Matt Bullock and then made a spectacular point blank save from the same player.

Then in a rare attack the Cumbrians took the lead on 43 minutes. McGill’s cross was headed against the post by Steve Soley with Foran blasting the loose ball into the roof of the net.

With Macclesfield finding it difficult to turn possession into chances they introduced Damien Whitehead on the hour with the pacey forward proving a hand full for the Carlisle defence..

With Karl Lightbourne moving to a wide left position chances started to come for the home side as Whitehead shot straight at Keen and then headed over from a Lightbourne lay off.

The deserved equaliser came with 76 minutes gone when Kevin Keen’s corner was headed home by Lightbourne at the near post.

The Cumbrians had to endure a nervy five minutes of injury time as Whitehead wet close twice, heading into the side netting from Lightbourne’s cross and then heading over a Byrne near post flick on.

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