Macc’s message
MACCLESFIELD manager John Askey believes his side showed ‘two fingers’ to the critics with Easter wins against Gateshead and Grimsby.
The Silkmen went nine games without a win in the National League before Friday’s 3-0 win at Gateshead and Monday’s 2-1 home victory over Grimsby.
Speaking after Monday’s game, Askey said: “We’ve been able to refresh ourselves since the Dover game and since then we’ve been a different side.
“I just felt as though in January and February things conspired against us and we didn’t have people available.
“It’s just pleasing that we’ve responded. We’ve taken a bit of stick and it’s nice to sometimes to put two fingers up at people.
“When we’re fully fit as a team and got everybody available then we’re a match for anybody in the league, as we’ve proved throughout the season.
“I think another year if things had gone for us then we’d have been in the play-offs.”
Although admitting the Silkmen have nothing to play for, Askey believes the back-to-back wins can spur his side on to finish the season on a high.
“It shows what good characters they are when we’ve gone through what we’ve gone through the last two or three months and we’ve got nothing to play for as such, but with performances like that I give full credit to them and hopefully we can finish off the season in the right manner,” he said.
“We worked really hard, we rode our luck a little bit at times but things have just changed and I’m obviously really pleased with the result.
“We had big confidence and we played quite well the first half and in the second half we didn’t get the ball down as much as we’d have liked to have done but the work rate was there, as it’s been all season.”
Macclesfield face sixthplaced Braintree at Moss Rose on Saturday and Askey is looking to get what he believes his side deserved in reverse fixture.
He said: “We went to their place and I thought we were the better team and should have won, but obviously we didn’t.
“They don’t concede many goals so it should be a tough game, but we’re now looking forward to it.”
Askey praised the influence Reece Styche has had on the team after he responded to scoring a hat-trick at Gateshead with a goal against Grimsby.
He said: “I thought Reece did great at Gateshead. He didn’t play as well on Monday but he’s come up with a goal and that’s the most important thing as a striker. Obviously he’s full of confidence and he gives the team confidence with Kristian Dennis being out.”
October’s