But he need not have worried as they bounced back to form and tuned up for tomorrow's Halifax FA Sunday Cup final with a hugely entertaining 3-2 win at Spring Gardens.
"We responded in the right way and I'm very pleased with the lads as we have had a very tough week with a gruelling series of games," said Brier.
"But full credit to Spring Gardens because they played really well in what was an excellent game to watch."
John Wilkinson gave Elland the lead on 16 minutes when he was brought down in the area and picked himself up to dispatch the spot kick, and that goal separated the teams at half time.
Wilkinson doubled the lead early in the second half with a header from Jason Todd's free kick, but on the hour the excellent Kieran Green crashed home from six yards to put Spring back in the hunt.
Chris Moroney then produced a miraculous save to keep his side ahead before Sam Frankland got the reward for an all action display by making it 3-1 10 minutes from time.
Matthew Cook's crisp volley made it 3-2 and ensured a nervous last few minutes for Elland but they held on for victory.

King Cross CB&AC still have high hopes of securing the runners up spot after they came back from a goal down to see off Cock & Bottle 3-1.
Click the 'play' button to see the slide show from the game
John Booth, Sam Taylor and James Dodd were the men on target as King Cross made the most of their opponents being reduced to 10 men.

A hat trick by Dean Lawrence was the deciding factor in Royal Hotel's 4-2 win over Greetland CC which maintained their own hopes of bagging the runners up spot.
Greetland, with an eye on tomorrow's final against Elland, rested a couple of key men but boss Mark Leonard did not use that as an excuse and was honest enough to admit his side were second best on the day.
"We did not play well and they were the better side," he admitted.
James Greenwood levelled after Royal had taken an early lead but it was 4-1 by the time Jimmy Highley netted what proved to be a mere consolation.

The clash between the bottom two was a must win game for both sides, but it was Queens Road who took the honours at Brandy Wine with their 2-0 victory putting them three points ahead of Wine with two games left each.
Faisal Saghir was the two goal hero but Queens skipper Irfan Afzal was man of the match.
In damp, muddy conditions, Wine were unlucky not to go ahead as they hit the bar and were then denied by a last ditch tackle from Rab Nawaz, but it was Queens who broke the deadlock on the half hour mark when Saghir's shot from the edge of the box gave the keeper no chance.
And minutes later, it was two when Ishtiaq Ali squared the ball for Saghir to blast into the bottom corner from 25 yards.
Queens stayed in control and could have extended their lead after the break, and though Wine continued to battle, they could not break through a solid rearguard.

Hollins Holme are already planning for their return to the top flight after their 5-1 demolition of Mount Tabor ensured they clinched runners up spot in Division Two.
It was the final fixture for both sides and each knew the winner would seal second spot but it was Hollins who clinched the win, leaving Tabor to face an anxious wait for fellow promotion-chasers Bradshaw Phoenix to complete their two remaining matches.
"Promotion was always our aim this season, so to finally achieve it is amazing," said boss Tony Curtis.
"Obviously after doing so well in the cups and having topped the table, it is easy to look back on what could have been, but we have had a superb season and everyone at the club deserves credit."
With Calder Holmes Park unplayable, the match was switched to Tabor's pitch at Savile Park, but the late change failed to disrupt Hollins as they gained sweet revenge for their 8-3 defeat by Tabor earlier in the season.
Tom Booth and Jack Rodgers both went close before Simon Newbitt opened the scoring with a rifled effort from the edge of the area, and Hollins quickly doubled their tally when Tommy Garland, restored to the forward line after work commitments, broke free to fire past the keeper.
Tabor had their moments, but with centre half Joe Gibson in inspired form, Hollins remained defiant and indeed they added to their score before the break when moments after Gibson hit the bar, Booth netted after being put through by Jamie Rossi-Stephenson.
Tabor came out with all guns blazing after the break and were gifted a lifeline when a speculative long range effort took a nasty bounce to leave keeper Steven Butterworth stranded.
However, that was as good as it got for Tabor as Hollins swarmed forward with skipper Andy Butterworth hitting the bar and Rossi-Stephenson and Garland both testing the keeper.
And the game was put beyond doubt when Booth headed home Calum Rodgers' inswinging corner, and five minutes later, the duo combined again to allow Booth to bring up an incredible half-century of goals which Curtis described as a "special achievement."

Copley Town are already promoted from Division Three and they carried on the good work and warmed up for next Sunday's League Cup Final with a comfortable 6-2 win over Ovenden Amateurs.
Town fielded a depleted side but it did affect them as they took a first minute lead when Ben Huson found James Broadbent on the edge of the area and he fired low to the keeper's left.
The second followed soon after when Broadbent's run down the right found Andrew Akesson in the middle and he slotted home.
Ovenden pulled one back before the break after a defensive error but in the second half, Copley upped the tempo and skipper Paul Drake and a second from Broadbent made it 4-1.
The Amateurs briefly raised their hopes by pulling one back but two more goals from Broadbent in the closing minutes underlined Copley's dominance.

Joy at Cock & Bottle Reserves' 11-2 trouncing of basement club Oddfellows was tempered by the news that the league have ruled that they be deducted the three points they earned from a 6-3 win over Jacks Bar on March 30 as their first team did not fulfil a fixture on that date, this denying Cock promotion.
They had to settle for enjoying their 10th win in a row which came after Thomas Shafi gave Oddfellows an early lead.
By half time, two goals each from Chris Carter and leading scorer Craig Boothroyd had put Cock in control and Mark Cook then slipped the ball under the keeper for number five.
Carter hit four more and Boothroyd another two as they ran riot in the later stages, though Oddies grabbed a consolation when stand in keeper Darren Kendall went upfield to net a late goal.