IF Hartlepool United fans needed any reminding promotion is not a forgone conclusion, this was it.

Expectancy levels around Victoria Park have never been so high and the 4,684 supporters were brought down to Earth with a bump at 4.45pm on Saturday.

Two wins from Pool's opening two games ensured Chris Turner's men were the early pacesetters in the Third Division.

But against the Silkmen, the hosts failed to show the form that had seen them win their last seven, excluding play-offs, League matches.

Ironically, it was Macclesfield who were the last team to defeat Pool on March 22 when they won 2-1. So perhaps defeat was always going to be on the cards for Pool, who have never been able to overcome the Cheshire club on home soil.

Turner's side have now relinquished their brief hold of top-spot and they are aiming to bounce back in style this weekend when they face Torquay - away - and then Hull - at home - on Bank Holiday Monday.

And disappointed midfielder Ritchie Humphreys believes losing to Macclesfield at this early stage could act as a blessing in disguise.

"We can't expect to win every game," said the 24-year-old. "We are not world-beaters and we know we can't expect that.

"We are despondent after that but we have to get back to work, get on the training pitch and put the wrong things right by working hard."

Pool were the better of the two teams at Victoria Park, but failure to put the ball in the back of the net always gave the visitors a chance. A well-organised Macclesfield pack's tactics were to allow their opponents to enjoy more of the possession and they stifled most advances from Pool.

The 2-0 scoreline - two quick-fire goals in the last ten minutes from Danny Adams and Danny Whittaker - is a little flattering, but they deserved to clinch their first victory of the season.

Pool 'keeper Anthony Williams had enjoyed a quiet afternoon up until that moment.

Only a wayward drive from ex-Nottingham Forest striker Lee Glover put Williams' goal under any pressure, but similarly Steve Wilson at the other end was rarely troubled.

And Humphreys, who was lively throughout the 90 minutes, admitted they did not do enough in the final third.

"If we'd have been out there for another 90 minutes we could not have scored any goals," he said.

"We had plenty of the ball but we never really had any chances. We just weren't at the races."

Pool's cause was not helped with just 38 minutes gone when striker Eifion Williams had to be substituted with hamstring trouble. He was replaced by 20-year-old Jermaine Easter, whose inexperience was not helped by abuse from sections of the Pool crowd.

A plus point for Turner was that he was able to hand knee injury victim Paul Smith his first taste of action this season when he came on for the unfortunate Paul Arnison on 65 minutes.

But not even Smith could help Pool avoid slipping to defeat as Macclesfield stepped up a gear late on and show their more-fancied hosts how to score.

First Macclesfield's player-assistant boss John Askey put in a teasing right-foot cross and wing-back Adams headed superbly past Anthony Williams on 83 minutes.

Then seconds later, with Pool up for a corner, David Moss's men broke away and Glover's pass found an unmarked Whittaker up-field, who placed his shot under the keeper to wrap things up. Game over.

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