National League Three (North)
New Brighton 37
Macclesfield 0
WITH the prospect of relegation eased after last week's victory over Longton, Macclesfield wound down their season with their 10th away defeat of the campaign.
It was hoped that Macclesfield might just improve on the 16-16 drawn game played out between these sides just before Christmas, and on a day ideal for open rugby with little breeze and a firm surface it was the ideal day to open out and run with the ball.
For the first 15 minutes it was an even encounter with both sides seeking to establish a hold on the game, but then it all went pear-shaped for Macclesfield as their defence folded in the face of determined running by the New Brighton threes.
A Macclesfield attack broke down and full-back Dan Naylor linked into the line to accept a pass from his centre Paul Brett to score just wide of the posts. The conversion attempt failed but within two minutes Naylor was in again after poor defence failed to stop him. This time he scored under the posts for Anthony Briley to make no mistake with the conversion.
Seventeen minutes gone, and Macclesfield were 12-0 down. Their only chance of a score came when a Gary Bell penalty attempt went wide.
Macclesfield attacked from this point and only a knock on in the home 22 thwarted a good move and with Bell making a determined break.
Soon after, play continued in the New Brighton area but a lost ball saw the home side set up another move and this ended with flanker John Sewell going over to score with the Briley conversion going in off the post.
Winger Matthew Pennington then ran through some non-existent Macclesfield defence to score just before the break and whilst the conversion was missed, Macc lost prop Rob Bieniasz to the first of four yellow cards brandished by referee Ed Turnbull for seemingly innocuous offences.
Macclesfield turned round 29-0 down when just on the interval Dan Naylor was allowed through for his hat trick try for Briley to convert.
Whilst the Macclesfield side got the game much more together during the second half, they simply could not find a way through a determined home defence despite having some 80 per cent occupancy of the New Brighton half.
When the home side did get within range of the Macclesfield line they scored a try through Loa Tupou - a second half replacement - and a Briley penalty whilst nothing Macc did troubled the scoreboard for the third time this season.
Paul Clark (Macc) Richard Bradshaw and Loa Tupou (New Brighton) saw yellow cards during this period of the game which saw an abundance of penalties against both sides for technical offences which frustrated both teams, but at least the Macclesfield defence held out better for what could, on first half evidence, have been an even heavier defeat.
Macc: Goodfellow, Allen, Bienisaz, Bostock, Hewitt, Clark, Jones, Keep, Baker, Bell, Campbell, Davidson, Lawton, Frost, Coulbeck. Subs: Vassell, Ellis , McLean, Howcroft.
