Macclesfield manager Gary Simpson praised the character of his side after seeing them battle back to claim an impressive victory, writes JON MURRAY.

“In the first half, Oxford were giving us big problems down the right-hand side,” he admitted.

“They could have been five or six up at half-time. A lot of the trouble was of our own making.

“But it’s a fantastic victory. We had six players out with injury and then Hamza Bencherif had to come off.

“It’s testament to the team’s spirit that they can come back and get a win like that.

“For us it’s all about getting to 50 points, we’re not looking beyond that. If it comes at the end of the season, great. If it comes at the end of December, even better.

“We are so short on numbers, that I’ve told my players not to come in until Wednesday.

“We can’t afford to get any more injuries in training – some of my players are going to be playing through the pain barrier as it is.

“I was very pleased with (Vinny) Mukendi up front, he had an outstanding work rate and effort. He’s a real handful.”