Johnson urges Brackley fans to stick with his team despite a tough run

The Saints slipped to a second successive defeat as they were beaten 2-1 at relegation-threatened Farsley Celtic on Tuesday night, three days after they lost 3-0 at leaders AFC Fylde.

Johnson’s team have won just once in their last 10 games and they could now face a nervy finish to the season as they bid to secure a play-off place in the Vanarama National League North.

Brackley remain in fourth place but are now just four points ahead of Gloucester City who sit just outside the play-off spots while other clubs are queuing up in a bid to gatecrash the top seven.

An Easter weekend double-header for Brackley kicks-off with a home clash against bottom side AFC Telford United, who were relegated as a result of Farsley’s victory, on Good Friday before they head to Hereford on Easter Monday.

And boss Johnson told Brackley’s official website: “I have gone over to apologise to the fans at the end (of Tuesday’s game) and I am so grateful to them for coming.

“They are disgruntled, of course they’re disgruntled with the run we’re on. It isn’t good enough.

“The lads and myself appreciated the support and we need the fans even more so with this run.

“I am up there to be shot at.

“I don’t know what more we could have done other than putting the ball in the net on Tuesday.

“We have a home game on Friday and we are going to need the fans.

“We need to be as one, we need to be together. There can’t be a divide so hopefully they will come in numbers on Friday.”

Brackley fell behind early on in midweek before Shepherd Murombedzi levelled just before half-time.

But Farsley struck again after the break and Brackley’s misery was compounded when Murombedzi was sent-off for a second bookable offence late on.

And Johnson was once again left to rue too many missed chances.

He added: “I am at a loss to how we have come out on the receiving end of a loss. It’s a really tough one to swallow.

“I had a squad there who wanted to win, you could see that.

“I have said that we have struggled in these games against teams who are fighting for their lives. We knew what was coming and I thought we more than matched them.

“There was aggression in our tackles and we created five good chances in the first half and six or seven in the second half.

“We are just not putting them away and it’s been the story of the season to be honest.

“I am gutted we have come away with zero points but I can’t fault the players’ work-rate, it’s that end product that is our downfall.”