Macclesfield  15  Fylde  12

The impressively reliable boot of skipper Ross Winney ensured that Macclesfield’s 100% home record remained intact at a squally Priory Park on Saturday and the result means that the Blues leapfrog Fylde into second spot behind Caldy as the top four sides create distance from the chasing pack in Three North.

The Blues kicked off with a strong cross field wind causing problems for the kickers and the early play saw both sides test each other with speculative kicks.

Ross Winney opened the scoring with a penalty after 9 minutes play but this was cancelled out almost immediately when the talented Ollie Brennand on the Fylde wing finished off a good blindside move leaving would be tacklers in his wake. The conversion went adrift and the next score came on 23 minutes when Winney slotted over another penalty which he added another minutes later to give the home side a 9-5 lead.

Too much possession was being kicked away to be returned with interest by the Fylde threes and the Blues should perhaps have scored at least one try during this phase of play but it was Fylde who struck as half time approached when Centre Richard Kenyon touched down after good approach work by Dave Wiseman.  Steve Nutt’s conversion put the visitors ahead but right on the break more Fylde indiscipline allowed Winney to level the scores at the interval.

The second half was gradually dominated by the Macclesfield pack with the back five especially dangerous.  Chris Jones, Dan Baines & Jon Keep constantly got in the faces of the Fylde half backs and the ever increasing influence of Nathan Bonner-Evans in the Second Row was gradually controlling the game.

Macclesfield had a ten minute period of intense pressure on the Fylde line and thought that they had scored at one stage but the referee was unsighted as Baines claimed a try and the game was interrupted on several occasions when Fylde players went down ‘injured’ under the onslaught.

With but minutes left Macclesfield gained reward for their efforts when Winney struck his fifth and decisive penalty but Fylde could still have taken the spoils had a pass gone out when their backs made a good break into Macclesfield territory but it was not to be and the Blues defence held out to maintain their unbeaten home record.

Following the game Head Coach - Geoff Wappett commented, “I was pleased for the boys in climatic conditions that made things difficult.  We played to the conditions and circumstances of the game forcing Fylde to concede penalties under pressure. In such a close game any error could have been fatal”

Team: Mulchrone, Lowdon, McDermott, Hughes, Fowles J, Winney, Needham.

Devine, Allen, Robinson, Marsh, Bonner-Evans, Jones, Baines, Keep.

Replacements: Taylor, Moss, Hewitt, Smithson & Macey