Macclesfield couldn’t break their duck in the FA Trophy, exiting this year’s competition at the first time of asking at Tamworth.

With next week's FA Cup tie in mind John Askey made seven changes to his starting line-up and although many boosted their chances of facing Brackley the Silkmen were undone late in the day.

The defeat, a second in a row following the Salisbury loss a week earlier, means the Silkmen are without a win – or even a goal –since Tony Hemmings scored the third in the 1996 final victory over Northwich.

Despite the numerous changes Macc had been ahead on points when the two sides turned around. The closest they’d come to breaking the deadlock saw Chris Holroyd head Arthur Gnahoua’s cross at Lambs keeper Cameron?Belford, who also denied James Bolton and was happy to see Paul Lewis’ effort go wide, while Scott Boden’s sole opening of the half was quickly closed off by a clutch of defenders.

Askey was casting an eye on those who’d not featured regularly with thoughts inevitably turning to the chance to earn a place in the third round of the FA Cup.

And with those squad members desperate to impress it was perhaps little surprise that they gave a good account of themselves. But although Belford had been the busier of the keepers it was goalless at half-time.

Ritchie Branagan must have walked off at the break wondering if he’d get his chance to shine, as he’d barely been troubled until time added on when Nick Chadwick’s header offered him mere catching practice.

Early in the second half Lambs’ sub?Andy?Todd had three sightings of goal but one shot went high and another wide with a Branagan save sandwiched in between.

The second half didn’t kick into a high gear until an 83rd-minute penalty decided who’d go through to the next round.

Bolton, who will have better days in a blue shirt,  slipped as he was about to clear to safety and he simply couldn’t avoid a vital contact with the ball.

Referee Darren England, who’d been poor throughout and shown a succession of – at best debatable – yellow cards, pointed to the spot.

Although Chadwick’s penalty crashed back off the bar and seemingly to the relative safety of the huddle outside the box, there was no respite for the napping Silkmen.?It was Todd who reached the rebound first and turned it in to make it 1-0.

And as Macc looked to snatch a replay Tamworth confirmed their place in the next round in the final minute of normal time, Ben Richards-Everton rising to head in Capaldi’s delivery.

Five added minutes came and went, and with them went Macc’s hopes of a trip to Wembley. And while he recognises that more crucial games are ahead, Askey is never satisfied with defeat.

“We controlled the game, any football that was played came from us but we didn’t really get down the sides and get in behind them but there was a lot of good play,” he said. “They did what I wanted them to do and that’s put in a performance.

“We’ve got the FA Cup game next week and it’s a shame we didn’t win because you want to win every game you play.  We were desperate to win today.”

He’d surely value victory over Brackley this week more, though. And with the likes of Lewis and Kissock – who received the most laughable booking of the season – giving him a nudge, Askey will have food for thought this week.