Guiseley 1, Macclesfield Town 2

ADAM Lockwood and Dave Penney spent the best part of 30 minutes locked in the dressing room with Guiseley's players after this latest defeat.

The pair finally emerged to continue the post mortem on the pitch between themselves and a couple of club directors before facing the press.

Penney's arrival as assistant manager was announced earlier this week, alongside the confirmation of Lockwood as first-team boss.

But on the pitch it was the same old story and Lockwood said: "I'm sick of talking about a stronger second-half performance.

"It takes real winners to go out in the first half and make it our game rather than theirs.

"Everyone knows they are unacceptable goals and straight away that knocks the stuffing out of you. It's a disappointed changing room."

This latest loss left Lockwood's side winless after 12 games and rock-bottom of the Vanarama National League table.

Guiseley were on the back foot from the outset and Chris Holroyd gave promotion-chasing Macclesfield the lead as he latched on to a ball over the top and cleverly lobbed Jonathan Maxted.

Injury forced the visitors into an early change as David Fitzpatrick went off but his replacement Mitch Hancox soon crossed from the left flank for Ollie Norburn to volley in right-footed at the back post.

That made it 2-0 after 26 minutes but Guiseley threatened a response when Alex Purver weaved his way through the Silkmen's defence and then failed to find the finishing touch his approach work deserved.

Nine minutes before the break, Jordan Preston – Guiseley's liveliest player – produced a thunderous right-foot strike from 18 yards which flew into the top corner for his first goal for the club.

In the second half, Preston's cross was headed home by Reece Webb-Foster but the Bradford City loanee's goal was chalked off for offside.

Leeds United loan recruit Billy Whitehouse made his debut for the Lions but struggled to make an impact and was replaced by Luke Porritt in the second half.

In truth, Macclesfield held on with relative comfort, leaving Lockwood and Penney to rouse their troops ahead of Saturday's trip to Sutton United.