Blues captain Mike Finnemore was left disappointed after his team’s loss at home to Blackheath on Saturday.

He felt his Macclesfield side lost from a commanding position at half-time, which makes it a even more bitter pill to swallow.

“In the first half I couldn’t fault the lads,” he insisted. “They stuck to the game plan, which meant we were in a commanding position before half-time.

“However lack of focus and inability to be clinical when it mattered most lead to the game slipping away from us. Any loss is disappointing, no matter what sport you are involved with, but it cuts deeply losing at home and to a team that we quite clearly were on top of for a vast majority of the game.”

It has been a baptism of fire for Finnemore who took over as captain at the beginning of this campaign, but he expected a tough season and continues to relish the challenge.

It's been a tough season but Finnemore expects to see some Blue grit this weekend

“When Giles (Heagerty, head coach) asked me if I wanted the job as captain I had no doubts that it was going to be a tough task,” he added. “You’re going to get bitter losses at times just as you will get sweet success – it is inevitable.

“Yes, the results have been bad and at times we have not played to our full potential but the moment you let the results of past games dictate how you intend to tackle your next game you might as well tie your own noose.”

Despite the Blues’ bottom spot in the table and recent results, the mood in camp remains buoyant according to Finnemore, who expects nothing less from his players, who are still capable of causing an upset this season.

“After the defeat at the weekend it felt like we had been knocked off our stride, which when you’re building for a win can be a demoralising thing,” he continued.

“That being said, you can’t let emotions govern how you train and how you play, you have to be professional about these things.

“We realise the position that we are in but sulking about it helps no one so the mood is kept positive. I strongly believe we are not done yet and a few teams are still to be toppled, even at this late stage in the season.”

The Blues travel to Rosslyn Park, currently third in the table, at the weekend and are sure to face a tough test again.

But Finnemore has every respect for the opposition and therefore expects his players to come out fighting.

“Rosslyn Park are a very good outfit and are to be respected,” he said. “I expect nothing less than a hard-fought game and for us to put in a winning performance.”