A mysteriously awarded second half penalty scored by Tom Craddock ended the Hatters' hoodoo over Macclesfield to help the Town to their first back-to-back victories of the season.

The match looked like it was heading for a frustrating stalemate until referee Andy Penn awarded the Hatters a spot-kick from which Craddock duly obliged to keep their survival hopes well and truly alive.

Both sides struggled to make much of an impression and Macclesfield could have taken a shock lead in the first half when Nat Brown hit Dean Brill's crossbar.

But the penalty was enough to record the Town's first win over the Silkmen in six attempts and move them closer to Chester at the bottom of League 2.

Hatters manager Mick Harford made two changes to his side that beat Grimsby Town 2-1 on Tuesday night.

The match-winner that evening - Asa Hall - was rewarded for his 10th goal of the season against the Mariners after coming on a substitute with a starting place against the Silkmen.

He was joined by Sam Parkin, who also came on Tuesday, who replaced Kevin Gallen. It meant that Parkin played in an attacking trio with Chris Martin and Tom Craddock with Hall supporting from midfield.

Macclesfield, meanwhile, had manager Keith Alexander back in the dugout following his health scare and he was able to field 18-year-old John Rooney - brother of England striker Wayne - in a three-pronged attack.

It was a lovely spring day and the Town were looking for their first win against Macclesfield in six meetings and their first back-to-back victories of the campaign.

The Hatters started brightly and Hall and Craddock combined on six minutes to create the first chance of the afternoon but the former Middlesbrough man could only fire way over the crossbar.

Four minutes later the Town again forced a chance over Jon Brain's crossbar when Mark Bower hooked a shot over when meeting Michael Spillane's right-wing free-kick.

Macclesfield were really under the cosh but in their first foray into then Hatters' half, striker Emile Sinclair curled a shot high and wide of Dean Brill's left-hand post on 13 minutes.

But back came the Town, and two minutes later visiting midfielder Nat Brown had to be alert to deny another Spillane free-kick from reaching Parkin who was waiting to pull the trigger.

After 25 minutes neither side had forced either goalkeeper into action and the Silkmen again tried their luck from distance when Rooney attempted to lob Brill from 30 yards after capitalising on the goalkeeper's low clearance.

The Hatters then stepped it up a gear, and almost took the lead on 28 minutes when a terrific turn and shot from Hall was tipped behind by Brain.

From Kevin Nicholls' resulting corner, Parkin rose to head straight at two defenders on the line and after Macclesfield failed to clear the danger George Pilkington saw his header cleared off the line by Ahmed Deen.

However, the visitors should have taken the lead but somehow managed to spurn a glorious chance on 32 minutes when a cross from the left found its way to Brown six yards from goal.

But, to the relief of most inside Kenilworth Road, the former Huddersfield man cracked his shot off the crossbar and the danger, thankfully, was cleared.

The Town forced Brain into action twice more five minutes before the break when he first fumbled behind a shot from Keith Keane and then from the resulting corner from Nicholls, the goalkeeper punched the ball onto his own crossbar.

As the ball dropped down off the woodwork, Martin tried to force home the loose ball over the line but the visitors were able to survive again.

A minute into injury time at the end of the half, Nicholls drove into the Macclesfield penalty box after playing a one-two with Parkin, but despite it looking like the Hatters captain was being tugged by his marker, he was still able to get a toe to the ball but it wasn't enough to force it beyond Brain.

HALF TIME: LUTON TOWN 0-0 MACCLESFIELD TOWN

There were no changes for either side at the interval with the Town looking to finally break the deadlock.

It took nine minutes after the break for the Hatters to create an opportunity when Craddock's shot from 12 yards was deflected behind for a corner.

Slowly the visitors began to grow in confidence and moments after Craddock's chance the Silkmen's leading goalscorer Gareth Evans beat Lewis Emanuel down the Hatters' left but shot straight at Brill.

Then, two minutes later, on 56 minutes, Matthew Flynn saw a header strike the post but the visitors' right-back was already in an offside position.

On 59 minutes a determined run by Sinclair for the Silkmen nearly fashioned a chance for Evans and Rooney but the Town were able to clear.

Mick Harford made his first change on the hour mark replacing Parkin with Ian Henderson which saw Martin move into the central strikers' role.

Both sides were still struggling to create any chances but the Hatters were given a lifeline in confusing circumstances on 68 minutes when the linesman flagged for a penalty.

After Craddock had wriggled along the left-hand byline to deliver a cross, it seemed the chance had gone when Hall missed the ball completely when looking to shoot.

However, to the disbelief of most inside Kenilworth Road referee Andy Hall pointed to the spot and Craddock stepped up to blast the ball straight down the middle for his 10th goal of the season and sixth in 10 games.

There was an off-the-ball altercation between Emanuel and Lee Bell on 72 minutes which threatened to boil over which the referee diffused by issuing both players with cautions.

After the goal both sides continued to find it difficult to create a chance and the nearest Hatters came was a curling shot from Martin six minutes from time that sailed harmlessly wide of the target.

The Town then had Brill to thank to keep out a drive from Evans on 83 minutes and two minutes later, this time at the other end, Craddock went on a mazy run only to be denied by last-ditch Macclesfield challenge and Hall then saw a shot flash wide.

With two minutes left Harford made his second substitution of the afternoon when introducing Sol Davis for Emanuel, but despite four minutes of injury time the Hatters held on to record a much needed second successive win.

FULL TIME: LUTON TOWN 1-0 MACCLESFIELD TOWN

Luton Town: Brill, Keane, Pilkington, Nicholls, Parkin (Henderson 60), Emanuel (Davis 86), Hall, Martin, Spillane, Bower, Craddock.

Substitutes not used: Gnakpa, Jarvis, Button.

Booked: Emanuel (72).

Macclesfield Town: Brain, Deen, Morgan, Bell (Thomas 75), Sinclair (Harvey 80), Rooney, Brisley, Hadfield, Flynn, Evans, Brown.

Substitutes not used: Tolley, Fraser-Allen, Liburd.

Booked: Sinclair (18), Bell (72), Rooney (88), Flynn (89).

Referee: A Hall.

Attendance: 5,363 (including 99 from Macclesfield).

Sponsors' Man of the Match, chosen by Luton Outlaws: Michael Spillane.