Things went from bad to worse for Macc in a Friday night horror show.
Second-bottom Gateshead went ahead after just a minute and they never looked back, establishing a four-goal lead before the half-time whistle.
Although Macc kept their visitors out in the second half, the damage had been done and Gateshead were able to see out the match with little toil or trouble.
The FA's refusal to rescind Rhys Taylor's red card from the previous game forced Lance Cronin into a premature return in goal. And he probably wished he'd stayed on the injured list, as Gateshead found their shooting boots to plunder their goals in a desperate 45 minutes for Macc.
Jamie Chandler put the Heed ahead with barely more than a minute gone. Ryan Donaldson slipped in Peter Bore and when he pulled back, the midfielder was on hand to sweep the ball beyond Cronin.
Donaldson himself had an opening six minutes later, but Cronin was well positioned to deal with his effort, despite a tricky deflection.
As far as Macc attacks went, any openings on goal were quickly snuffed out by Gateshead's greater numbers, with Waide Fairhurst firing wide and – on his full debut for the club – Micah Evans seeing his shot have all the sting taken out of it by converging defenders.
While Macc misfired, the Heed were hitting in a purple patch in front of goal and doubled the lead on 18 minutes.
James Brown benefited from a handy ricochet and, doing well to avoiding the attentions of Sam Wedgbury, found the bottom corner with a smartly struck, low finish.
Cronin was beaten again moments later with another shot that was perfectly placed. Josh Gillies let a ball across the edge of the box go through his legs and Donaldson lined up and let fly, his shot unerringly finding the top corner.
Three down and shell-shocked it took until the 32nd minute before Heed keeper Adam Bartlett was called into meaningful action, diving right to thwart Fairhurst after his one-two with Evans, Macc's best player on the night.
Ten minutes before the break came a rarity, with Gateshead spurning a chance. Centre-back James Curtis rose highest to get to Phil Turnbull's corner but he sent his header wide.
Macc scrapped for a lifeline but with Matthew Barnes-Homer desperate to rediscover his scoring form his shot on the turn passed the near post. And when Bartlett palmed Wedgbury's corner to Macc's leading marksman, he could only direct his shot back to the keeper.
The opening half's misery was completed by the man who'd started it, as Chandler made his own bid for the visitors' private goal of the night competition.
After Gateshead lumped a direct ball forward a header out of defence looped up and dipped onto Chandler's foot and he lashed a 25-yard volley beyond Cronin's despairing divc to put the icing on the cake for the relegation strugglers.
The inevitable cacophony of boos, jeers and more sent the Silkmen scurrying down the tunnel, and they returned with a message to limit the damage. This they did in the second half, but without ever threatening to make the evening uncomfortable for Gateshead.
For their part the visitors showed little attacking intent, Donaldson's shot saved by Cronin aside, but they'd done more than enough and Macc mustered very little response.
And when Jack Mackreth sent over a cross for fellow sub Dean McDonald, Fairhurst's attempt to direct it goalwards served only to glance it over his strike partner.
It had been that kind of night and one Macc would love to forget in a hurry.