Joe Ironside's second-half penalty was enough to earn victory over Scunthorpe and give Daryl McMahon his first win as Macclesfield boss.
Though the Iron had their moments, they remain winless and bottom of the League Two table.
Scunthorpe looked anything but strugglers in the first half and should have been in front but Alex Gilliead's fine drive was deflected narrowly wide, while debutant George Miller sent one acrobatic effort wide and rattled a second chance off the crossbar.
At the other end, Ironside was denied by a terrific save by goalkeeper Rory Watson, but the hosts were by far the more relieved side at half time.
The crucial moment came 10 minutes after the restart when Kgosi Ntlhe gave Macclesfield's Corey O'Keeffe enough of a push to send him down and give Ironside the chance to score from the spot. He found the bottom corner from 12 yards.
Watson later produced a fine double save to deny Ironside and Emmanuel Osadebe, but the Silkmen had done enough.
Report supplied by PA Media.
