Macclesfield Town first team coach Byron James has urged his players to build on their hard fought point against Wrexham and stay in touching distance of the play-offs.

The home side stopped the rot of four consecutive defeats on Saturday and earned their first clean sheet since their 1-0 away win at Tranmere on January 2.

James pointed out how the team is now turning its attention to some difficult upcoming away fixtures, starting with Altrincham on Saturday.

“The work ethic from the team was a lot better against Wrexham and along with that we had a lot more energy,” he said.

“We did a little bit less in training and it showed on the field as we played with more energy.

“The introductions of Danny Whitehead back into the side made a big difference as he is a

naturally energetic player. He wasgreat and George Pilkington played out of his skin at the back.

“There were a few

others who did really well like Jack Sampson and Andy Hall. The whole team lifted the bar to get back to what we expect.

“It’s a foundation for us to build on, we desperately wanted to win but the result of a draw was ideal as a lot of teams drew also.

“We haven’t lost any ground on anyone and if anything, we’ve gained a point on a few teams above us.”

Altrincham have lost just one of their last six league matches, and James knows they will be hard to break down.

“We are going to try and achieve the best we can achieve and Altrincham are a team we know well and they are a team we owe,” he said. “The lads are really up for it and think it’s a game we can win and if we play there like we played against Wrexham then there is no reason why we can’t pick up a result.

“If we have a bit of luck and quality in front of goal then I’m confident that we can beat them.”