Macclesfield 26    Leicester Lions 6

The Blues put the disappointment of Huddersfield behind them with a clinical performance that ensured Leicester Lions unbeaten record was brought to a halt at a windswept Priory Park on Saturday – a result that now see’s the Blues sitting proudly on top of the pile in Three North.

The game began badly for the Lions when they put the kick off direct into touch and this was followed by a period of  Macclesfield pressure which kept them pinned in their own 22 and it was no surprise when Ross Winney put the home side ahead with a brace of penalties after just ten minutes.

The first try of the game came after a line out close to the Leicester line and in a training park move Hooker Peter Allen took a touchline pass to crash over in the corner and whilst Winney’s conversion just pulled wide in the wind the Blues were in control at 11-0 with the game barely quarter gone.

Jonathon Keep – on his return to Priory Park – made good ground with several driving runs but in the tight it was the Lions pack that held sway despite losing one against the head to a confident Blues side and with debutant Scrum Half – Dan Needham – also showing his silky skills throughout to good effect.  Also making his debut was wingmen Jonathan Lowdon who looked the part ball in hand with some powerful drives.

Lions - with dangerous runners Gareth Collins and Jody Peacock running hard all afternoon – kept the home defence on its toes for the full eighty and credit to that defence for not allowing the Lions to score a single try all afternoon.

Macclesfield’s next score came from Flanker – Chris Jones – who claimed the touch down after good approach work from Dan Baines and whilst the conversion went wide Winney struck a penalty soon after as Lions Lock – Austin Watts – incurred the wrath of referee Edmunds for constant infringements.

As the interval approached Jonathan Boden put the Lions on the scoreboard on a rare incursion into the Macclesfield 22.

The second half saw both defences on top of their game and whilst a Winney drop goal attempt went wide it was Boden who gave the Lions some hope with his second penalty but on the half hour victory was virtually assured when Full Back – Fergus Mulchrone – scored a fine try in the corner for Winney to add a spectacular touch line conversion which simply put the icing on the cake after the previous week’s disappointments.

Macclesfield’s Man of the Match was named as Dan Needham and following the game Rugby Operations Manager – Brendan Thomas – enthused, “The first half saw real control and maturity which led to the best first half of rugby at Priory Park for some time. The coaching staff asked each player to ‘bring something extra’ to their game – which they did”

Team: Mulchrone, Lowdon, McDewrmott R, Hughes, Fowles J, Winney, Needham.

Devine, Allen, Robinson, Marsh, Hewitt, Jones C, Baines & Keep.

Replacements: Goodfellow, Keane, Lear, Moss & McDermott G.