Simon Heslop and James Constable struck with a goal in each half to earn Oxford United their third win in a row.

After all the worries over frost and snow, the League Two game went ahead without any problem, but the fog became thicker as the game went on, and by the end it wasn't easy for spectators to see the far side of the ground.

This was United's first taste of action for three and a half weeks.

Heslop fired them in front early on with a low drive after James Constable and Steve Maclean spread play quickly from left to right.

And Constable doubled the lead with 20 minutes remaining, before Macclesfield pulled one back eight minutes from the end.

Macclesfield started the game better and made inroads down their right.

Heslop had to clear hurriedly from in front of his own goal after Colin Daniel cut in and delivered a dangerous low cross.

The visitors’ right back, Aristote Nsiala, was yellow-carded for a late tackle on James Constable. It looked high as well, so he was lucky to escape a red.

But it meant that, from then on every time Constable ran at him, he was on a knife-edge as to whether he would stay on the pitch.

United remained on top as they pushed forward, but for a spell their finishing was poor.

Heslop dribbled into the box but then mis-hit his shot, and Josh Payne struck a long-range effort well wide.

But Alfie Potter was unlucky when he beat the offside trap and darted through on goal. His shot, as Jose Veiga raced out, ricocheted off the keeper straight to a Macclesfield defender instead of Maclean in front of goal.

But on 17 minutes, the U’s did break through, with a fine move, and emphatic finish from Heslop, Maclean releasing the final pass to him with perfect timing after drawing the last defender.

The Silkmen were above Oxford in the League Two table before kick-off and they demonstrated they can be enterprising going forward, carving out a number of half-chances.

Colin Daniel had a left-footed shot saved and Tyrone Barnett drove into the side-netting.

U’s keeper Ryan Clarke made a brave point-blank save after coming well off his line, and Banett headed over from a good position.

The biggest worry, though, as half-time approached, was the fog, which was rolling in off the surrounding cold fields and seemed to be getting thicker by the minute.

Maclean showed his class with one beautiful flicked lay-off for Constable, and after some tenacious and determined play by Heslop. Constable drilled a shot-on-the-turn narrowly wide.

Constable cleared off the line at the start of the second half and Damian Batt made a vital last-ditch tackle as Macclesfield pressed for an equaliser.

But there was a buzz around the ground whenever Alfie Potter started running with the ball, and the home side looked increasingly threatening on the break.

And it was from Potter’s 50-yard run, that United increased their lead in the 70th minute.

He slipped a pass to Heslop to his right, and although Heslop miscued his shot, it came off a defender and fell invitingly for Constable, who smashed it high into the net for his tenth goal of the season.

Macclesfield pulled a goal back eight minutes from time when sub Ricky Sappleton, who had spent a spell at Oxford, volleyed in at the far post, the shot going in off the near post.

But United held out for another three points.