Two John Murphy goals and a Kevin McIntyre penalty hauled the Silkmen out of the relegation zone for the first time this season.

The Bulls had Andy Ferrell sent off early on for handling on the line and they never looked like coming back after McIntyre slammed home the spot kick.

With Jordan Hadfield suspended, Tolley and Murray were the pairing in central midfield and Matty McNeil was recalled to the attack.  Martin Bullock and Alan Navarro accompanied new loan signing Nathan D'Laryea on a very strong looking Macc bench.

The Silkmen began brilliantly and could have put the game to bed in the first 20 minutes with a catalogue of chances.

John Miles fired wide in the second minute and then saw his great cross somehow evade Murphy at the back post.

Danny Swailes' powerful header was cleared off the line by Rob Purdie after Jamie Tolley's corner and then he was again in the right place to clear when McIntyre's corner missed everyone and almost found the net.

Seconds later Miles wasted a glorious chance and from the rebound Matty McNeil's follow up volley hit the angle from close range.

It was from another corner that Macc finally made their pressure count.  On 15 minutes McNeil's header was stopped on the line, but this time by the arm of Ferrell stood on the post.The referee instantly pointed to the spot and showed Ferrell the red card.

McIntyre made no mistake and hammered the penalty into the top right corner for his sixth spot kick of the season.

Hereford reacted well to going a goal and a man down and for the rest of the half more than matched the Silkmen but without really troubling Tommy Lee.

The home keeper was alert to deal with a dangerous cross from the right and Purdie's long range free kick flew well over.

Swailes again found space from a corner, but this time his downward header bounced wide of the upright from 10 yards.

Kevin McIntyre was booked after reacting to what looked like a two footed challenge in midfield and then Swailes saw his name go in the book for a rash challenge on Stuart Fleetwood.

Macc went in ahead at the break, although they had struggled to match their early promise and seemed to take their foot off the gas after the visitors had gone down to ten men.

Martin Bullock was introduced for Colin Heath at the interval and he showed some nice touches down the left.

Both sides seemed were lucky not to concede own goals just after the break as the game went from end to end.  Phil Gulliver's wild slice flew inches past his post on 47 minutes and soon after Swailes made a mess of his back-pass, which looped over Lee and out of play for a corner.

Good skills from Miles gave him a sight of goal, but after cutting in past two men, his curling effort sailed into the arms of keeper Wayne Brown.

The visitors had a great chance to level through Andy Williams, but after collecting Fleetwood's pass and cutting inside McIntyre he fired at the legs of Lee from close range.

Tolley made way for Navarro as Macc looked to wrap the game up.Hereford cleared off the line for a third time on 58 minutes when Phil Gulliver nodded away McNeil's looping header following Regan's cross.

The key second goal came on the hour mark from a clever training ground free kick routine.  McIntyre shaped to shoot but played the ball out to Miles and his pinpoint cross found Murphy who bravely dived in to head into the roof of the net from a couple of yards.

The visitors almost replied immediately but Fleetwood's 25 yard free kick curled over the wall and past the beaten Lee before thumping off the inside of the post and rolling across goal and out for a goal kick.

Bullock's great run down the left almost made the third, but after his low cross was blocked, Murphy's volley drew a great save from Brown.

The icing on the cake came on 83 minutes when a ball down the right channel found Navarro through on goal.  The midfielder unselfishly squared the ball into the path of Murphy who had the simplest of tasks to finish from close range for his eighth of the season.

Matthew Tipton was brought on for the last five minutes and Macc could have scored more with Murphy missing another good chance.  The Bulls keeper was also forced into a good save when Alex Jeannin almost put the ball into his own net when sliding to intercept Tipton's cross.

Three points and three unanswered goals pushes Macc up to the dizzy heights of 20th in the league.  Performances will have to continue though as the next two games are against League Two's top two.

Andy Brinkhurst

Post-match comments from Ray Mathias will be on the website in the morning.