270 plus hardy Harriers fans endured another day out in glorious Macclesfield.  Every time we go there the weather is foul and on this occasion the football that we served up was equally foul.

The 100% commitment that Stuart asked for, and got, against Lincoln City was just nowhere to be seen in this awful game.  Right from the off it was back to the hoofing, poor passing and non existent movement off the ball.

Matters were not helped by a referee who started off the game by a leniency towards Donkey Parkin that belied belief and then finished the game with a shocking decision when he sent off Lee Jenkins for a so so tackle in our own half.  One particular tackle in the first half on Jonny Mullins from Parkin could have broken the on loan defenders leg.  Was Parkin cautioned, was he heck as like.

The boss opted to start the game with the same team that won last week and new signing John McGrath was on the bench.  Still no sign of the other new face though.  Has Dave Morrison actually signed for us yet?  Is he the new Reuben Hazell?

For Macclesfield we saw the familiar face of Neil Mackenzie.  Luckily for him he was spared the barracking from Harriers fans that he got when he played for Blackpool against Bury three years ago.

It was Macca who had the first chance at goal when his shot from a corner twanged off the post and fell perfectly for Parkin who blazed it over the bar from a few feet out.

Minutes later and we had a great chance to take the lead when the ball was sent into the area by Lee Jenkins, Dean Keates headed it straight at Fettis and he pushed the ball high into the path of Gary Birch.  All it needed was a simple header back in and we'd have been one up but somehow Birchy sent it way over the bar.

Instead it was Macc that took the lead when Wayne Hatswell made an un-characteristic mistake when he allowed Matthew Tipton to get on his blindside when Welch played a long ball forward.  Tipton took the ball on and poked it past John Danby for the opening goal.

We had a couple of free kicks awarded to us but failed to make any use of them although the half came to a close with a chance from a free kick for Blair Sturrock that was deflected just wide.

The rain was getting worse as the second half commenced with the Harriers playing with the wind behind them.  Did we take advantage by playing the ball on the ground? Nah, course not.

The ball spent more time in the air than a Jumbo Jet and when it was played on the ground we were needing one touch too many to make any use of it.  Simon Russell was having a poor game for him and found himself being expertly marked by the big Macclesfield defence.

Nine minutes into the half and the game was over when Parkin headed the ball home from a Tipton centre.  To our credit we did try to play football to get something back from this game but we never really threatened Fettis in the Macclesfield goalmouth.

Blair Sturrock and Gary Birch both had chances to save a bit of face but their shots were either too weak or straight at the keeper.

In an effort to change things round a bit the Gaffer bought on Chris Beardsley and John McGrath at the expense of the disappointing Simon Russell and Tom Bennett.  McGrath took time to settle but Beardsley didn't waste time in making his presence known.  Again he got himself booked within minutes of coming on but in his defence I don't know what the hell it was for.

It was at this time that the referee, Graham Laws, lost his marbles.

Parkin again took a Harriers player out, this time Birch, with a tackle that went straight through Garys legs and should have warranted a sending off.  He wasn't even spoken to.

John Danby saved us from going further behind with a lovely full length save from Tipton and then Mullins scooped the ball off the line following a header from Parkin. With the game drawing to a close, and defeat the only result possible now, Lee Jenkins found himself in the centre of controversy.  A free kick for the Harriers was cleared towards the half way line to Kevin McIntyre and as Jenkins chased after him he could only clip his heels.  McIntyre didn't even fall down but the stupid ref halted play and then brandished first a yellow and then a red card at the hapless Jenkins.

It just didn't make any sense.  McIntyre didn't go down, he still had the ball at his feet, he wasn't the last man, the foul? was in our half of the field, we had players between the offence and the goal.  To top it all it just wasn't a maliciously intended foul.  It was just a normal foul.

Blair Sturrock also found himself in the book after a bit of argy bargy with some Macc players and the game ended in defeat for us.

The other results today were both good and not so good.  Cheltenham, as expected, beat Rushden but it looks like Cambridge have stopped the losing run and they're now looking hard to beat after getting their third draw in a row.