‘We can beat any team in league if we show desire’ Macc take spoils in five-goal thriller: Pages 74-75

MACCLESFIELD Town assistant manager Steve Watson believes his side can beat anybody in the league when they step up to the plate and show that they are passionate.

The Silkmen suffered two straight defeats recently, falling to a 2-0 loss at Sutton United before following that up with a 2-1 home defeat to Lincoln City.

Macc managed to bounce back on Monday though when they won 3-2 at Solihull Moors after an injury time winner – and Watson feels that never-give-up attitude is what is needed.

“We can beat any team in the league if we match them for hunger, desire and aggression,” he said.

“We all know we can play good football against anybody but it’s those three things that needs to be better between now and the end of the season.

“We need to play when we can but we need to win battles all over the pitch. We had been lacking that in the games before Solihull and that’s why we came away with no points.”

Somebody who shares the same view as Watson is Macclesfield goalkeeper Ritchie Branagan.

He was in between the sticks during the 2-1 defeat against Lincoln, but was replaced by Craig Ross for the match against Solihull Moors on Monday.

Branagan was disappointed that his side came up short in the game against Lincoln, and admits that they need to be better in the future.

“We’ve got to learn to get better at seeing out games.

“I imagine Lincoln got a rollicking at half-time in the game against us and then they came out strong,” he said.

“We were in a comfortable position, though, and still were when we conceded the first goal, so we need to learn that conceding a goal doesn’t mean it’s the end of the game.”

The Silkmen will now hope they can build on their 3-2 win over Solihull when they host Woking on Saturday.

Woking are third from bottom in the National League table, having taken just four points from their opening seven matches.

Their first win of the season came on Monday when they defeated Chester 3-1 after goals from Kieran Murtagh, Joey Jones and Chigozie Ugwu.

Macc were victorious when the two teams last went head to head at the Moss Rose, earning a 2-1 win in September 2015.

Goals from Kristian Dennis and Neil Byrne were enough to earn the Silkmen all three points.