by Luke Cawdell

Andy Hessenthaler blasted his side’s defending after capitulating on home soil for the second time in a week.

The Gillingham manager dropped his entire defence after last week’s 4-2 defeat to Barnet and must now pick up the pieces again after Macclesfield inflicted the same scoreline.

“I’m devastated and that’s two home games now where we have defended like schoolboys,” said the Gills boss.

Hessenthaler named the same team which went to Rotherham and won 1-0 on Monday.

“The hardest thing for us all to take it that we are so Jekyll and Hyde all of a sudden,” he said.

“We go from being very solid and hard to play against, going 16 games unbeaten and not looking like being beat, and then at the crucial time we look loose.

“We looked loose as a team against Barnet and made it too easy for them. We went to Rotherham and kept a clean sheet, 1-0 and looked very solid and then go back to Priestfield and are loose again with the same set of players.

“As a coach and manager it is very difficult to put your finger on it. I don’t think it was through a lack of effort from the players. They kept at it and it’s difficult because we didn’t give ourselves a chance in the game, ever.”

The Gills were on the ropes early on after Macclesfield netted three goals in the opening 18 minutes.

Hessenthaler said: “To concede three goals as quick as that on your own ground makes it a mountain to climb.

“We are expected to win and we have made it hard from the start. We have made it even harder after conceding three goals like that.

“We then get a goal back and at half-time, at 3-1, we think there is plenty of time to get the goals. We still believed we could go and get something in the second half, to get back to 3-3, but again we didn’t give ourselves the chance by conceding a goal.”

Gillingham’s day was made worse as Andy Barcham limped off with a hamstring injury, but more worryingly Barry Fuller ended up in hospital following a challenge from Tony Diagne.

The Macclesfield man walked away with a caution but Fuller ended up in hospital.

Hessenthaler said: “He has a suspected broken leg, or maybe even a cruciate knee injury. It’s in and around the knee/shin area and I think it was a sending off and I told the referee that.

“I’ve seen the challenge on the DVD and for me it’s naughty.”

What did you think of the performance and chances of reaching the play offs?

Leave a comment below or join the debate on our Facebook and Twitter pages.