The Silkmen were on the wrong end of a narrow 1-0 scoreline at Griffin Park, the only goal of the game coming on the quarter hour mark from Charlie MacDonald.

The Bees' forward grabbed his fourth goal of the season after good work out on the left, collecting the ball and steering a nice finish into the top right of Jon Brain's net.

Keith Alexander made two changes to his team, Martin Gritton replacing Francis Green and James Jennings rested for the returning Sean Hessey.

With both teams having good early chances, Terry Dunfield saw his free-kick on 7 minutes saved well by Bees' keeper Ben Hamer and Danny Thomas also had a good effort blocked shortly after.

A game came to life on 12 minutes when Sean Hessey found his way into the referee's notebook for a foul on MacDonald. Three minutes later the striker had got the all important first goal.

Having commenting in the week about his sides inability to get back into games when going behind, Keith Alexander will have been pleased with his sides' response with chances created, the best falling to Martin Gritton. Unfortunately his powerful header was the wrong side of the post.

However the home side also had chances to extend their lead with MacDonald and Elder the biggest culprits. The Silkmen's cause was not helped with the withdrawal of Paul Morgan with ten minutes of the first half left to play, Ahmed Deen introduction forcing a reshuffle.

Early into the second half Matthew Flynn picked up the Silkmen's second yellow card for a foul on Glenn Poole. With the home side having conceded only two goals at home all season it was clear they would be hard to break down, often reluctant to get players forward.

And so it proved to be, which despite the introduction of Neil Harvey for Flynn and Francis Green for a tiring Martin Gritton, the game eventually settled by MacDonald's early goal.

It could easily have been different with both sides probably feeling they should have troubled the respective keeper's from the chances created. But the Silkmen were left to reflect on their first blank in five league games as they headed to the coach for the long journey home.