Vanarama National League: Macclesfield Town 1 Guiseley 0

ON A day when Guiseley’s opponents from last Saturday, Gary Johnson’s Cheltenham Town, won promotion to Sky Bet League Two, the Lions’ fears of relegation worsened after a narrow defeat at Macclesfield Town.

The Silkmen have nothing to play for and approached the match much like a meaningless end-of-season run out.

It was Guiseley’s failure to make the most of that situation that led to their downfall, and they lacked real drive, energy and purpose in a lacklustre display.

Their defending at the 76th-minute corner that led to the Silkmen’s goal was very poor, substitute Paul Lewis nipping in to glance a header past Steve Drench.

A free-kick from Ollie Norburn hit the crossbar on its way over in the first half but that was one of the few chances created by the Lions.

They had an opportunity to steal a point at the end but couldn’t get the vital touch in a goalmouth scramble.

Guiseley still need three points from their last two games to be sure of a second season in the top tier of non-league football, and a dejected Mark Bower said: “It’s obviously disappointing to lose because there was nothing in the game.

“We had a few half-chances but just couldn’t find that killer touch or final pass, but there was nothing in the game, with both sides cancelling each other out.

"Then we were so sloppy at a set play. We’ve thrown clean sheets away in the last couple of weeks by poor individual marking at set plays, and when games are so tight it makes all the difference.

“Their lad just saunters in and puts it in and it knocks the stuffing out of you.

"When you’re not playing well you have got to defend your box, and we’ve not done that on this occasion and we’ve got punished.

“Then right at the end, the ball is bobbling about in their box and you just think ‘how many chances do we need to put it in’, and they have defended that.

"We can’t be relying on other results – we knew it was going to be tough going to Macclesfield but a point there would have been a good result.

“I thought we did okay, we weathered a bit of a storm and grew into the game and played confidently.

"They didn’t have a chance in that second half until we switched off at that set play, so for them to score such an easy goal is disheartening.

“It’s happened to us too many times this season. People will score set plays against you – that will happen, it’s part of football – but its happened to us on far too many occasions and far too easily.”