Macclesfield head coach Geoff Wappett hailed his dogs of war after the Blues kicked off 2012 with a hard-fought win over Blaydon.

Macclesfield shook off their ring rust to chalk up their seventh win in eight games and, although they didn’t collect a bonus point as well, Wappett praised his pack for the foundations they laid in the 16-10 success.

"It wasn’t a classic by any means but it was a well-earned four points," said the Priory Park director of rugby.

"The pack gave us the platform, defensively it was a great performance, it was difficult in those conditions to use the ball effectively.

"Ryan Parkinson was outstanding again, he’s had a very busy first half of the season and his tackling and ball-carrying was first class, especially for his try."

The Blues had been under pressure from their visitors in swirling wind, bitterly cold temperatures and mud underfoot making for a less-than enjoyable experience.

But with Matt Owens rejoining the fray from a 10-minute sin-bin stint, his try added to Parkinson’s to keep up Macclesfield’s league One challenge.