Gillingham no longer have their play-off hopes resting in their own hands after slipping up on home soil again.

The Gills, without a win from their previous three home games, conceded three goals in the opening 18 minutes at Priestfield as their League 2 promotion hopes plummeted.

Danny Jackman pulled one back before half-time but Macclesfield had a fourth soon after the second half kicked off.

Joe Martin volleyed home a second for the Gills midway through the second half but the comeback never materialised.

Injuries to Andy Barcham and Barry Fuller, who was carried off on a stretcher, made Saturday afternoon even more painful for the Gills.

Gillingham ended the afternoon sitting a place outside of the play-offs and needing a result at title hopefuls Chesterfield next weekend.

Macclesfield ran riot from the off and were a goal ahead with just three minutes gone when Garry Richards’ back-pass hit Simon King and fell kindly for Ross Draper, who finished well.

The Gills, who needed a win to keep their hopes of promotion on track, were 2-0 behind four minutes later after Emile Sinclair’s cross was tucked away by Colin Daniel from the edge of the area.

Defensively the Gills looked fragile throughout the opening half and the goal was breached again on 18 minutes. Daniel was the man on target again with a good finish after running unchallenged into the Gillingham area.

Gillingham were put further onto the back foot when Andy Barcham, their attacking outlet on the left, hobbled off injured.

Cody McDonald, Gills’ 25-goal striker, smashed a good chance over the bar on the half hour and moments later Barcham’s replacement Luke Rooney had the visiting keeper sprawling to collect his hopeful effort.

Macclesfield remained a threat and Gills keeper Alan Julian had to make a double save to deny the visitors from inflicting more misery. He blocked Emile Sinclair’s shot before spectacularly turning Tyrone Barnett’s follow-up around the post.

Danny Jackman pulled one back two minute before the break to give Gillingham some hope for the second 45 minutes. Joe Martin had swung in a cross, Mark Bentley headed it back across the area and Jackman was on hand to claim his first goal of the season.

Julian still had to make another good save before the break when Barnett outpaced the Gills defence and struck a powerful shot on target.

Gillingham’s hopes of turning the match around were scuppered just three minutes into the second half when Macclesfield broke, Sinclair picked the ball up on the edge of the box and lobbed Julian.

The day was going from bad to worse for the Gills and half-time substitute Barry Fuller was stretchered off, less than 10 minutes after coming on, following a crunching tackle from Tony Diagne.

With an hour gone McDonald had a shot cleared off the line and Rooney flashed a shot past the post.

Martin made it 4-2 after 71 minutes played when Tony Sinclair’s pull-back in the area was volleyed home. Half-chances from Rooney and Matt Lawrence followed but the Gills were unable to avoid a second successive 4-2 home defeat.

Gillingham: Julian, Sinclair, Martin, King (Fuller 46mins (Lawrence 55mins)), Richards, Bentley, Jackman, Maher, Barcham (Rooney 27mins), McDonald, Akinfenwa. Subs not used: Nutter, Spiller, Cronin, J Payne.

Macclesfield: Veiga, Reid, Bencherif, Brown, Draper, Brisley, Gray, Diagne, Daniel (Roberts 95mins), Sinclair (Tremarco 77mins), Barnett. Subs not used: Cudworth, Chalmers, Wedgbury, Hamshaw, Sappleton.

Attendance: 6,841