MACCLESFIELD completed their first season in Division Three North with a comprehensive victory over relegated LSH, and sent a happy captain, Iain Taylor, into retirement.
This proved to be the Blues's best win of the season, running in eight tries from all areas of the field, and amassing a total of 48 points, to make coaches Steve Rule and Dave Muckalt, (who was making a welcome return to the game after breaking an arm in January), pleased with the result. Steve said, "In a wonderful second half performance we showed what we are capable of doing, which looks good for next season".
In blustery conditions Macc started into the wind and although they gained early possession, it was LSH who scored first after 15 minutes when centre Sean Casey opened the Blues defence with an excellent break, and with Simon Worsley converting, the visitors were seven points to the good.
However as Macc gained more ball their confidence grew and after some superb approach work with the ball being moved through the hands, full-back Ben Coulbeck broke through to open the Blues score. Gary Bell converted to even things up.
The game progressed with neither side gaining any ascendancy, although the Macc pack were showing signs of getting the better of their opponents, but then, Steve Campbell used his pace to cut through the LSH defence to score a good individual try to edge Macc into the lead just before half time.
Early in the second half the pressure being exerted by the Macc pack started to take its toll and from a Jonnie Keep pick-up at number eight, scrum-half Andy Rice was on hand to snatch an early try.
However LSH continued to battle it out and caught Macc unawares with a quickly taken tap penalty, which resulted in a try for Martin Gaskell, converted by Worsley.
From then on in, it was all Macclesfield who played some scintillating rugby to run in a further five tries without reply. Coulbeck got his second on 55 minutes, when he chipped over the full-back, to gather and score wide out, and then within minutes of replacing Bell at fly-half, Mike Newell got on the end of some fine interpassing to open his account, then made a break himself to put Keep in and give the Blues an unassailable lead 36-14.
Macc continued to pressure the visitors and from a tap penalty centre Toni Howcroft scored and captain Taylor converted. 43-14. Then, after good mauling from Rick Jones, prop Rob Bieniasz got a well-deserved try to complete the scoring.
