Campbell left disappointed as Macclesfield concede late winner against Swindon

Posted Sunday, January 06, 2019 by PA

Sol Campbell admitted Macclesfield’s defeat to Swindon was the toughest one he has had to take in his short managerial career.

Macc had led through Tyrone Marsh, with Marc Richards heading Swindon’s equaliser.

And with chances sparse after the break it looked like ending all square until, in stoppage time, Swindon broke at pace from a Macclesfield set piece and Jak McCourt fired in to snatch victory.

And Campbell felt his players should have taken some reward, insisting: “It’s a horrible way to lose, we played really well and could have made it 2-0, but we have to be stronger in some areas.

“It’s disappointing to lose like that, it’s about game management and the goal was out of nothing. It came from our opportunity at a free kick and we should be seeing the game out, be professional about it and be much more savvy in scenarios.

“The lads have really stuck at it but we’ve got to get better than that at seeing games out.

“We have to learn from this game, we were in control of the situation and lost it. We have to use our intelligence, regroup and go again.

“They have let go a game they were in control of. That shouldn’t happen, we’re better than that, individually and as a team.”

Swindon boss Richie Wellens was, understandably, delighted to have snatched victory in stoppage time for the second time this season against the Silkmen.

And though they left it late he felt the victory was richly deserved.

“We got over the line, I feel it was deserved, we had some really good opportunities which we hadn’t taken, then a sucker-punch at the set play, we had had some really good play, we should have been on top then we found ourselves behind.

“The lads responded on a really difficult pitch, it looks a decent surface but it’s cut up badly.

“We tried to overplay a bit at times so we said to play it in behind them, get them facing their own goal because the team that wins it will be the one that makes the least mistakes.

“We need to improve our switching of the ball, but when other teams get corners or free kicks sometimes I’m quite happy because I know if we turn the ball over we have got good distribution.

“We try to get bodies up the pitch at pace, that’s how we got the winner. It’s a pleasing aspect of our game, it was a hallelujah moment.”