Jay Saunders saw old mistakes creep back in as Maidstone missed the chance to virtually guarantee safety.

Kevin Lokko’s error was punished in just the second minute in a 3-0 defeat at Macclesfield.

Stones boss Saunders also felt Seth Twumasi’s challenge for the Silkmen’s penalty was unnecessary and that was followed by a late third.

Saunders, whose side arrived home at 4am, said: “I’m disappointed to finish our unbeaten run. Silly mistakes have cost us.

“I just said to the boys that’s probably why we are where we are in the league because we’ve given away bad goals all season and tonight was no different.

“You give away a goal after a minute, away from home, you’ve had a long few days and it immediately puts in your head a mental tiredness.

“The goal’s embarrassing. Lokko’s got no need to try and nick it, he gets wrong side, the lad’s stronger than him and finishes it well.

“We were still in the game. We had chances, they had chances, it was a very open game, but we didn’t take our chances tonight unfortunately.

“We’ve been on a great run and we won’t get too down about it.

“We’re disappointed with the first two goals and the third is one where we’re chasing the game.”

Stones had come from a goal down in their last four games, winning three and drawing the other, but there was no way back at Moss Rose.

Saunders said: “It’s not going to happen. You can’t keep doing it.

“You can’t come away at this level and give away goals like that.”

Read the match report from Maidstone's 3-0 defeat at Macclesfield