Leicester City are through to the second round of the Carling Cup but not without alarm. City trailed 1-0 but goals from Robbie Neilson, Matty Fryatt (2) and Ritchie Wellens were enough despite Vinny Mukendi and Colin Daniel scoring in the second half for the visitors

Foxes' manager Paulo Sousa handed new signing Moreno a first start for the club at centre back as he came in for Michael Morrison. City also brought in Logan, Kennedy, Gallagher, Wellens and Howard, with Weale, Berner, King, Dyer and Campbell all dropping out of the side.

The opening exchanges didn't offer much in the way of goalmouth action but City sprung to life nine minutes into the game, testing Town keeper Jose Veiga three times in as many minutes. First after a neat passing move Paul Gallagher fed Dany N'Guessan, but the Frenchman couldn't get much on his shot and Veiga saved easily.

Soon after an under hit back pass from the Macclesfield defence allowed Matty Fryatt to burst clear of the defence only to see his effort saved by the legs of Veiga. The keeper completed a hat-trick of saves just a minute later, saving from Howard's low long range shot.

Then Town hit the front against the run of play, a left wing corner was headed in by captain Nat Brown. His looping effort nestled in the top corner to stun the Walkers.

Macclesfield had previously knocked out then Championship Blackpool at the first round phase but City were determined not to suffer the same fate. N'Guessan twice went close from a set piece, including a bullet header that was well cleared off the line.

In the 34th minute the inevitable arrived through the most unlikely source. A crisp City passing move full of deft touches and clever movement, found Howard who had his shot parried clear, but the rebound fell to Robbie Neilson who scored just the third senior goal of his career.

Before the break Fryatt was again denied one-on-one by Veiga, and N'Guessan who had been played in by Fryatt shot wide of the target when in the clear.

After half time City flew out of the blocks and were 3-1 in front within six minutes of the restart. Fryatt opened his account for the season just a minute in, a corner was only half cleared and Fryatt's turn was only bettered by an inch perfect finish that left Veiga helpless.

Five minutes later Fryatt had doubled his tally for the night and City had doubled their advantage. Wellens showed his quality with an inch perfect through ball, and Fryatt found the roof of the net with a calm right footed finish,

That should have been enough for Leicester but they allowed Macclesfield back into the game, a well worked move down the right hand side ended in Silkmen sub Vinny Mukendi heading home from inside the six yard box.

City were again spurred into action and always looked capable of adding a fourth. On seventy minutes they did just that, when a right wing move culminated in Howard playing in Wellens who hit a left footed shot into the roof of the net,

Matty Fryatt almost scored another City hat-trick, his deflected right footed shot was well palmed away by the impressive Veiga.

With eight minutes to play the visitors got their third goal. A rare error from Jack Hobbs, allowed Mukendi to shoot, his effort was parried into the path of Colin Daniel who netted for 4-3.

In injury time Steve Howard flashed a shot across the face of goal, whilst Macclesfield never really came close to finding an equaliser. On a night where seven Championsip sides crashed out, Paulo Sousa may thank heavens for small mercies.

Team: Logan, Neilson, Moreno, Hobbs, Kennedy, N'Guessan, Gallagher, Wellens, Oakley (c), Howard, Fryatt
Subs: Weale, Morrison, Parkes, Dyer, Verma, Campbell, Berner

Teams: Veiga, Brisley, Tremarco, Bencherif, Brown, Sincalir, Daniel, Butcher, Bolland, Hamshaw, Barnett
Subs: Cudworth, Chalmers, Reid, Draper, Wedgbury, Mukendi, Beardsley

Attendance: 6,142