Kendal 28  Macclesfield 23

Macclesfield came unstuck for the first time in seven outings against Kendal at Mint Bridge but they will look at unforced errors and a harsh yellow card that gifted the game to a more than competent home side and they will need to lift their game when league leaders Caldy visit Priory Park on Saturday.

Macclesfield kicked off on a bitter Cumbrian afternoon playing into a low sun and the early exchanges saw a Dan Stephens penalty for the home side after 7 minutes answered by a Ross Winney strike three minutes later but indiscipline in the Blues ranks saw a double penalty awarded which enabled home Scrum Half – James Gough – to breach the defence and touch down for the first try of the game.  The conversion and a subsequent drop attempt by Stephens drifted wide but it was an unforced error in the Kendal 22 as Macclesfield attacked that saw top scoring wingman Lewis Boyd sprint in from sixty metres untouched for a try which was easily converted by Stephens to increase Kendal’s lead to 15-3.

Winney struck another penalty after 34 minutes but then a disastrous ten minutes for Macclesfield saw the game almost out of sight when Craig Smithson was harshly binned for ‘repeated infringements’ by the visitors.  Stephens converted the subsequent penalty to make it 18-6 at the interval but before Macclesfield regained equality on the park and just four minutes into the second half Kendal Prop – Richard Harriman – crashed over for the third home try of the afternoon and the conversion by Stephens increased the lead to 25-6 and it was beginning to look bleak for the Blues.

However the Blues gathered themselves together and began to apply pressure on the Kendal line and in a five minute spell first Full back – Fergus Mulchrone – and then Hooker – Peter Allen – claimed tries for Macclesfield both converted by Winney and at 25-20 it looked as if the visitors were gaining the upper hand but a Stephens drop increased Kendal’s lead before skipper Winney gained a bonus point with his third penalty as the game entered injury time and despite further efforts the game closed with the home side narrow but just about deserved victors on the day.

Team:

Mulchrone, Lowdon, Hughes, McDermott G, Fowles, Winney, Townsend

Devine, Allen, Robinson, Marsh, Bonner-Evans, Jones, Baines & Smithson.

Replacements: Craine, Latham, Hewitt, Keep & McDermott G