With nothing to play for Chesterfield might have been forgiven for lying down at the Moss Rose, but they dominated the first half playing Macclesfield off the park.
However, they squandered a succession of gilt-edged chances and were ultimately made to pay by a classic counterpunch.
The Spireites might have taken the lead as early as the fourth minute when powerful centre-back Janos Kovacs sent a towering header goalbound only for left-back Neil Ashton to knock the ball over the bar.
Live-wire striker Jamie Ward then engineered a chance to volley home but could only pick out keeper Jon Brain from the edge of the box.
Kovacs then directed a powerful ten-yard header straight at Brain before midfield man Lloyd Kerry at least made the keeper make a save with a curling 15-yard drive that was acrobatically palmed wide.
In the 30th minute Graeme Owens ghosted past two markers on the left flank but could not find a finish from ten yards as Brain made a telling save at the near post.
The Spireites were made to pay in the 40th minute when Ashton laid a neat pass across the six-yard line for youngster Gareth Evans to stroke home from 15 yards.
Evans nearly added another seconds later but grazed the side-netting from 20 yards.
Macclesfield successfully shut up shop in the second half and might have added a late second only for Barry Roche to make a stunning stop to deny Evans' long-range drive.