Nick Blackman's last minute strike salvaged a draw for Macclesfield in a largely uninspiring afternoon at the Moss Rose.

Glen Southam had put the Daggers in front with a sixth minute penalty and it looked like there would be no reply as Macc struggled to create much before 18-year-old Blackman found the net in the 90^th minute.

Gareth Evans partnered Francis Green in attack with Martin Gritton ruled out and Sean Hessey again started at the back despite his injury last week at Meadow Lane.

Green went close after only three minutes when his left footed drive was deflected the wrong side of the post by Dagenham defender John Boardman.

Just a few minutes later the visitors were awarded a penalty for a push on Paul Benson by Luke Dimech as a cross came in from the right.  Southam found the back of the net from 12 yards not once but twice as he was forced to re-take the spot-kick after encroachment into the box during his first effort.

Luke Dimech - Conceded the early penalty for an obvious push on Benson

Green gifted Benson a great chance to double the lead with a horribly misplaced pass on 16 minutes but as Hessey got back to challenge the striker his low angled shot was well saved by Tommy Lee.

In a game short on quality neither keeper had many saves to make and the Silkmen were restricted to shots from outside the box due to strong defending and an apparent lack of creativity.  Jamie Tolley blasted high and wide from 20 yards and from a similar position his midfield partner Adam Murray was also off target as Macc failed to take the game to their opponents.

The home side were booed off by some at the interval as the Moss Rose crowd were obviously unhappy at a dour first half performance which mirrored the terrible weather conditions.

Macc began brighter in the second period and looked to have a bit more zip to their play, however it was Benson who again almost added a second when he burst past Hessey in the area and saw his shot blocked by Kevin McIntyre on the six yard line.

Despite the Silkmen seeing more of the ball it looked only a matter of time before the Daggers' dangerman added to his five goals this campaign with two great chances within a minute.  Firstly his header was cleared off the line by Dimech from Southam's cross and after a poor clearance he found the ball at his feet eight yards out but his dragged effort on the turn was too weak to test Lee who saved low to his left.

A good chance of a Macc break at the other end was wasted by Green who cut inside from the right and tried to shoot through a defender on the edge of the box when he had Evans in support and Danny Thomas unmarked to his left.

Simon Wiles came on for Levi Reid and Jimmy McNulty replaced Hessey either side of the hour mark as Ian Brightwell tried to give his side a bit more width in the final third.

A sweeping move from Macc should have brought them level on 67 minutes as Murray found Wiles' run down the right and after knocking it on down the line he fizzed the ball across to Green in the centre who inexplicably side-footed wide from just a few yards out.

Francis Green - Should have equalised midway through the second half

A great Shane Huke run nearly killed the game off when he picked the ball up in the centre circle, raced forwards powering past two challenges and Lee's fingertips were just enough to turn his curling effort past the post.

Thomas was taken off for Blackman in the 78^th minute with Macc going to three strikers in a bid to save something from a disappointing afternoon.

With six minutes to go McIntyre whipped in a cross from the left and Evans' glancing header looked to be heading into the far corner but clipped the outside of the post with Daggers keeper Tony Roberts rooted to the spot.

As Macc pressed hard in the closing minutes it still looked unlikely that an equaliser would come as they struggled to fashion many clear-cut opportunities.  However the goal did come in the last few seconds of the 90 minutes when Green held the ball up well to find Blackman in space on the edge of the box and his drive was deflected in for his first ever goal for the club.

Nick Blackman - First goal for the club on his first appearance this season

The goal brought the freezing Moss Rose fans into life as they tried to inspire their team to find an unlikely win, although in the five minutes of injury time it was the away following who were left wondering how they failed to score a second.

Chris Moore took an eternity to get the ball out of his feet around the penalty spot and when it looked as if the chance had gone he managed to squeeze in a shot which bounced off the inside of the post and rolled across the goalmouth to relative safety.  Sam Sloma gathered the rebound and pulled it back for Southam but his effort was deflected behind.

With seconds to go Macc nearly threw the game away in bizarre fashion when McNulty's header from a left wing corner looked to be dropping into his own goal but fortunately it dropped just wide and both sides had to settle for a draw.

The late equaliser and debut goal for Blackman turned some of the jeers into cheers, but many Macc fans will have gone away wondering why their team found it so difficult to produce real chances against a side with the worst defensive record in the league.

Andy Brinkhurst