Macclesfield Town continued to put space between themselves and the drop zone with a committed display against a lack-lustre Darlington.
Danny Whitaker, settled the verdict with a stunning 12th minute volley from the edge of the box for his 14th goal of the campaign.
Macclesfield might have had more in the first half with both Danny Adams and John Miles sending shots wide, while Andy Collett spilled George Abbey’ stunning 40- yard free kick on 43 minutes.
Darlington improved after the break, Ashley Nicholls sliding a shot wide in the 49th minute before failing to get on top of a Ryan Valentine cross with a header that sailed over the bar on 58 minutes.
They might have stolen an undeserved equaliser in the closing stages but although Tom Newey's drive beat Lee Martin it also beat the upright.
It was a performance that left Macclesfield manager David Moss purring like a Cheshire cat. He said: "The players have been heroes for me, not just today but also over the last two months." Moss also paid tribute to chairman Rob Bickerton who stuck by him through the dark days. He added: "When people were losing their heads two months ago we stuck together and stuck our chests out and you are now beginning to see the results. This will be a great grounding for next season.†Darlington manager, Mick Tait said: "It was a flat game, certainly not one for the spectators. Both sides had their fair share of possession but we were particularly poor in the last third and completely lacked a cutting edge.â€