United were back on the road on Saturday afternoon as they made their first visit to Macclesfield since 2006.
The Macc Lads went into the game having equalled a Football League record of 36 games without a victory - a record shared with Derby County from their difficult run back in 2009.
United had won their previous three fixtures on the road, so they went to Moss Rose in confident mood with Anthony Gerrard [suspension] back in the selection mix. Hallam Hope [calf] and Gary Liddle [knee] missed out as they were added to the injury list.
It was a tight opening five minutes as both sides protected their lines, but United fashioned a chance from nothing when Bennett flicked on a huge kick from Collin. Yates took it on his thigh, then spun to shoot on the volley, with keeper Taylor caught on his heels. He was relieved to see it skip past his upright.
The Silkmen played some good football in the middle third but they couldn't find a way through the stubborn United defence as they dealt with everything that came their way. And it was the visitors who went close again when Yates turned his man tight by the touchline. Etuhu took over, and his pass to Jones invited a long range shot. The midfielder connected well but it was always heading wide.
Carlisle stayed forward and a free kick from Sowerby had to be put behind before Bennett could get a touch. Three testing corners followed as Mike Jones found good deliveries, but Parkes and Gillesphey were both unlucky as their guided headers were met with some important last ditch defending.
The first chance for the hosts came on 22 minutes when Blissett jumped highest to meet a deep free kick. His header was goal bound until Gillesphey got in the way on the line. United broke at pace, but that brought a worrying moment for central defender Tom Parkes as he appeared to pull up with a muscle problem.
It sparked a better spell for the Macc Lads and Rose unleashed a shot from distance which Collin saw late. He dived to cover it, but he pulled his hand away to let it go behind.
Macclesfield then had a goal ruled out for offside when Vincenti nodded a quickly taken throw into the net. Parkes waited for the complaints to die down before he gave up his battle against his injury as Glendon came on to replace him. Etuhu dropped to left back to cover the gap.
Jack Sowerby was a whisker away from opening the scoring just after the half hour when he wheeled away from his man on the left flank. He took a quick look before letting fly with a thunderbolt which had Taylor well beaten. It dipped late, but the travelling contingent were disappointed to see it drop onto the roof of the net.
Etuhu was next to test the target when he kept his head over a fierce shot from distance. Taylor got down to parry, and Bennett was first to react as he clipped the loose pieces back into the mix. Lowe had time to guide a chested pass at his keeper before Nadesan could pounce.
Carlisle had Adam Collin to thank for the scores remaining level on 39 minutes when Marsh burst through and into the area. He angled his shot at the bottom corner but the stopper stayed big to make a superb save with his boot. United broke and a whipped ball across the face of goal was just too far in front of Bennett as he threw himself at it to try to get the toe poke.
Yates blazed a late chance over the bar when a deflected Nadesan cross landed at his feet, and the game was finely poised as the sides made their way down the tunnel for the half time team talk.
United took the lead early in the second half when Etuhu lofted a high ball into the area. Bennett made it his own with a measured flick and Ashley Nadesan bagged goal number five for the season as he committed himself to the challenge by taking both the keeper and the ball over the line.
The Cumbrians stayed on the front foot following the goal, with Yates and Etuhu terrorising the right side of the home back line, and all a low corner from Jones needed was a flick as Sowerby jumped over it and allowed it to run. Maycock stepped across to hook it away.
A lovely pass from Rose found Carlisle flat-footed on the hour as Fitzpatrick was suddenly free and clear on the left wing. His forwards were slow to react as he whipped a great ball across the face of goal.
Macclesfield started to look for possession and a clipped cross from Hodgkiss brought Vincenti into the box. He won the header, but was left exasperated as it dropped the wrong side of the post.
Subsitute Harry Smith had explaining to do when he somehow missed with a header from just eight yards out. It was on a plate for him from Hodgkiss, once again, but he sent it over the bar.
Smith was guilty of another glaring miss when he beat the offside trap to go one-on-one with Collin. He had options, and he was disappointed with himself when he simply rolled the ball straight at Collin.
Midfielder Sam Adewusi made his league debut as he came on to replace Gary Miller, but the switch was immediately met by loud appeals for a penalty as Stephens was felled inside the Carlisle area by the youngster. The referee pointed to the spot, and Michael Rose kept his cool to slide the spot kick past Collin.
The Moss Rose comeback was completed on 83 minutes when Smith latched on to another ball over the top. He somehow got the ball back into the mix and Vincenti had the simple task of picking his spot from very close range.
Jones had a shot deflected in time added on, but Macclesfield held on to bring their horrible 36-game run to an end, making sure they didn't become standalone owners of one of the league's most unwanted records, and it also brought an end to United's own good away run with the Blues now looking to an immediate bounce back at Lincoln on Tuesday night.
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Goals
Macclesfield Town - Rose (79 pen), Vincenti (83)
Carlisle United - Nadesan (50)
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Bookings
Macclesfield Town - Stephens (90)
Carlisle United - Glendon (70)
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Teams
Macclesfield Town - Taylor, Hodgkiss, Fitzpatrick, Lowe, Grimes, Marsh (Stephens 70), Blissett, Napa (Smith 70), Maycock, Vincenti (Welch-Hayes 88), Rose. Subs - O'Hara, Kelleher, Wilson, Pearson.
Carlisle United - Collin, Miller (Adewusi 77), Gerrard, Parkes (Glendon 22), Gillesphey, Sowerby, Jones, Etuhu, Yates, Bennett, Nadesan (McCarron 87). Subs - Gray, Slater, Campbell, Birch.
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Referee - Mr Michael Salisbury
Attendance - 2,153 (704 away fans)
