MACCLESFIELD TOWN 3 BRAINTREE TOWN 1

Vanarama National League

Braintree Town’s chances of finishing the season in the Vanarama National League play-off places still lie in their own hands, but they were dealt a blow by a 3-1 defeat at Macclesfield.

Iron boss Danny Cowley was frustrated to see a “weak” reaction from his team to falling behind to a first-half penalty, but refused to blame the viral illness and injuries that continue to hamper his stretched squad for their loss.

They made a bright start against the Silkmen and had chances to take the lead, with Dan Sparkes seeing an effort well-saved by home keeper Schwan Jalal in the ninth minute.

However, once the hosts had gone ahead from a penalty in the 25th minute, they looked more like the team who have hit form in recent weeks and beat Gateshead and Grimsby over Easter.

Braintree's defeat followed a 2-1 loss at Aldershot earlier in the week and is only the third time all season that Braintree have lost two National League games in a row.

Cowley said: “We started the game well (at Macclesfield) and we had good control of it for the first 20 to 25 minutes.

“We were the ones on the front foot and asking the most questions.

“I thought we had good chances in that period, but we gave away a free-kick near the halfway line and we didn’t get set up quickly enough from it.

“We didn’t win the first ball and then got caught up in a wrestle that we didn’t need to get caught up in.

“For me, the penalty looked innocuous but what was disappointing then, was having conceded that goal, we just didn’t respond.

“It looked like we played with fear and we didn’t get anywhere near our levels for the rest of that half.

“That was the most disappointing part of it for me.

“If you concede a goal at a moment in a game, it shouldn’t interrupt what you are doing.

“It did us, though, and I thought that was weak on our part.”

The defeat was a blow to Braintree’s hopes of a top-five finish this year as Dover Athletic’s 1-0 win against Halifax took them up to fourth and three points clear of the Iron, who stayed sixth.

However, there was some solace for Cowley and his team as draws for play-off rivals Eastleigh and Wrexham and Tranmere’s defeat by Welling made the effect of their loss at Macclesfield a little less severe than it may otherwise have been.

Cowley made three changes for the trip from the side that started their previous game at Aldershot, with Michael Cheek returning from a hamstring injury, Reading loanee Sean Long back in after being on Republic of Ireland Under-21 duty and Chez Isaac also coming back.

That meant Mitch Brundle and Millwall loanee Jack Powell dropped to the bench, while their second Reading loan player, Harry Cardwell, didn’t make the trip north.

The Iron made an encouraging opening to the game and looked the more threatening of the two teams in the early stages.

However, following Braintree’s solid start, the opening goal came for the hosts when Macclesfield’s Reece Styche tangled with Sam Habergham.

The Iron felt it was just two players coming together, but referee Ian Hussin thought it was a foul by Habergham, promptly pointed to the spot and Danny Whitaker fired home the penalty.

The goal set the visitors back and Macclesfield dominated from then on, but they only held a slender lead at the break.

That changed just after the restart, though, as the hosts broke from a corner at their own end and Danny Rowe gave them a 47th minute two-goal cushion.

When John McCombe headed in Whitaker’s cross to extend the lead, the points were safe and although Simeon Akinola scored for a third game running it was nothing more than a consolation for the Iron.

Cowley added: “We came out for the second half and were too aggressive from a corner trying to get back into a game in the first minutes after the restart.

“We have another 40 to 45 minutes left, but we got caught on the counter (-attack) and were left chasing the game against a possession-based team who are very confident and that’s never easy.

“From there, it was always going to be a tough afternoon.”

Braintree: Tom King, Sam Habergham, Mark Phillips, Matt Fry (Mitch Brundle 57), Sean Long, Chez Isaac, Kenny Davis, Simeon Akinola, Dan Sparkes (Anthony Edgar 51), Alex Woodyard, Michael Cheek (Taylor Miles 67). Subs not used: Sean Marks, Jack Powell. Referee Ian Hussin.