Mansfield Town beat Macclesfield as scorching heat in Cheshire sees game end early

Stags fielded two different teams in both halves with both teams winning their half 1-0.

But the second half was ended five minutes earlier with stifling temperatures going over the 30c mark.

The Silkmen started well and earned the game’s first corner inside the opening two minutes following good work by D’Mani Mellor through the middle.

Macclesfield registered the game’s first attempt on 13 minutes as the lively Isaac Buckle-Ricketts struck a 25-yard curler beyond the target.

Two minutes later, Stags had the ball in the back of the net after midfielder Nathan Moriah-Welsh surged forward and – after being chopped down inside the box - forward Dom Dwyer curled home, but the linesman’s flag was up.

There was no denying Dwyer though as he nodded Stags into a 17th-minute lead.

Kyle Knoyle’s delightful floating cross from the right was met by the American who headed into the left hand-corner from ten yards.

Midway through the first-half, both teams temporarily left the pitch for a much-needed drinks’ break in 27°C heat.

Stags were now much in control and on the half-hour mark, Dwyer’s glancing header flew well wide from George Maris’ floated delivery outside the box.

Dwyer again was in the thick of the action two minutes later as he fired past the right-hand post following Kyle McAdam’s knockdown.

And ten minutes before the end of the half, Macclesfield ‘keeper Max Dearnley kept out Knoyle’s low drive with his legs to deny Mansfield a second goal.

Forward Will Evans should have found the net in the last chance of the half but he headed over inside the six-yard box from George Maris’ pinpoint corner.

Stags fielded a separate eleven for the second-half, which saw Jordan Bowery take the captain’s armband from Ryan Sweeney.

On 50 minutes, Louis Reed’s 22-yard free-kick arrowed past the bottom corner after Keanu Baccus was upended.

At the other end, Owen Mason had to get down low to keep out Elliott Whitehouse’s right-footed hit and then on the hour, Baily Cargill’s hopeful long-range effort sailed wide.

Macclesfield’s best chance came on 62 minutes when Luke Duffy threaded a neat pass to Danny Elliott, whose attempted chip was well-claimed by Mason.

Stags doubled their advantage on 64 minutes.

After eye-catching play on the inside left involving Cargill and Baccus, Lewis squared for Oates across the face of goal and the striker did the rest by tapping home.

Kruszynski tried his luck with a low strike from inside the box in the 73rd minute but it was comfortably held by the goalkeeper.

Oates then showed fine skill and speed to beat two men after wonderfully controlling a high ball, however, his eventual effort was skied.

Near the end, Cargill stung the palms of the trialist goalkeeper with a vicious strike, before the referee called time on 85 minutes due to soaring temperatures.