Macclesfield never recovered from going behind in Friday's 3-1 home defeat by Shrewsbury in League Two, according to boss Brian Horton.
James Collins' finish just after the half-hour mark set the Silkmen on their way to an 18th league match without victory, with Mark Wright and Collins sandwiching Arnaud Mendy's strike amid a late flurry of goals at the Moss Rose.
Horton said: "We gave as good as we got up until they scored in the 33rd minute. The first goal is always so important at whatever level, it gives you that boost of confidence and Shrewsbury are a good side and they began to play with so much more confidence after they had scored.
"It was a poor, poor goal to give away. Ben Futcher did not need to come, he could have left it to Nat Brown. But then as the sweeper he was out of position, when he should just have been able to step in and clear the danger. I don't like to pick players out but it was a bad mistake."
Horton added: "They have got to learn to stay in a game. We did at Rotherham, went 3-1 down and got it back to 3-2 and then, bang, it's 4-2 and the game has gone.
"They have got to learn to be solid and stay in a game. But I don't want to have a go. I want to keep their confidence high. I remember being at Brighton when we needed to win four on the bounce to survive and that's what we did so I am certainly not giving this up."