MACCLESFIELD Town manager John Askey has challenged his side to pick themselves up from Saturday’s defeat against Woking and launch themselves into a winning run.

The 3-1 loss at home left the Silkmen in mid-table on 11 points – but just three points off the play-off places. And Askey insists Saturday’s trip to second bottom Solihull will be a true measure of his side’s capacity to compete in the top half of the table this season.

Following the loss against Woking, he said: “It happens, it’s how you pick yourself up after that counts like we did against Gateshead and Sutton, you just have to look forward to the next game now put that behind us and move on.

“We’ve got to start winning and not just two games in a row, we have to go on long runs and that takes concentration determination and guts.

“Whoever you play it’s tough. If you don’t defend properly you’ve got a problem and hopefully we can go there (Solihull), play as well as we’ve done football-wise but tighten up defensively.

“In attack, you can practice all you want it’s just a bit of composure and striking the ball, on another day I’m sure they’ll go in. We’ve just got to keep getting in those positions.”

The Silkmen took the lead against Woking courtesy of Elliott Durrell’s 18th-minute effort.

But a goalkeeping error from Shwan Jalal led to Jason Banton’s equaliser and Joe Ward fired the visitors ahead before the break when he capitalised on more slack defending.

With Macc chasing the game after the break, they shipped a third late on as Inih Effiong hit them on the counter attack.

“I’m really disappointed and it’s hard to put into words,” said Askey.

“Games like that we should be winning and we missed a lot of chances like we did against Chester and Dover and that’s something we’ve got to improve on, but the main thing is we’re creating chances, and if we weren’t then that’s when I’d be really worried. However, I can’t understand how we’ve lost it.

“It was going so well for 25 to 30 minutes. We were playing well but their goal changed the game.

“I think if you play like that you’re going to win games if it’s tight at the back. They were sloppy goals to give away but on the positive side we played well.”

Askey also said that his side need to improve their concentration levels and defence if they are to win games.

“With their goals, it’s been a lack of concentration and that’s been the case for two or three games with concentration near the end of the game, there’s no excuses and it’s a game we should’ve won.”