Nat Div Three (N)
Tynedale 8
Macclesfield 20
IN A fixture which was rearranged after the nearby river burst its banks in January, leaving Tynedale Park under water, the hosts had no answer to a different irresistible force that arrived in the shape of Macclesfield.
From the first minute, Macc played aggressive running rugby and, after George Browning had spilt an early opportunity, Tyne were forced to concede a penalty for not rolling away. Fly-half Mike Newell duly converted.
The visitors were further ahead soon after. From a lineout inside the Tynedale half won by the Blues, the ball was driven a full 30 metres with the opposition pack in reverse gear and Dave Muckalt flying over for Macclesfield's first try. Newell converted.
When Scotty Goodfellow's assistance to his scrum half was adjudged illegal, the Northampton side were awarded their first penalty just outside the 22. Powerful number eight Andrew Murray, Tyne's best player all afternoon, stepped up but pushed the attempt wide.
Macclesfield continued to run the ball at their opposition with Newell initiating an exciting break and Pete Allen taking the ball a full 50 metres before knocking on.
It was to be a feature of the game that the Blues were able to put together many incisive moves with only the last pass going astray through knock-ons and forward passes.
From the ensuing scrum, a Tyne attack released Murray but full-back Ben Coulbeck pulled off a try-saving tackle. And when the supporting flanker took Murray's offload on the charge he was upended by the excellent Andy Rice.
Macc surged up the field with speedster Mark Frost coming close when he raced on to a long kick forward by Coulbeck. But the Blues were rewarded and Newell again slotted the penalty.
A searing break by Newell in first-half injury time nearly paved the way for Graham Muckalt to touch down but he was adjudged to have knocked on as he dived for the line.
Murray did put the home team on the scoreboard at the start of the second half with a penalty.
However, Macc stretched their lead further when the forwards unleashed an irresistible drive from a lineout and Rob Bieniasz claimed the try which Newell converted.
Tyne no 8 Murray then picked up at the base of a scrum and drove over line the line.
That proved to be the last points of the afternoon as a combination of man-of-the-match George Browning's tackling, and Coulbeck and Newell's tactical kicking, ensured the result was never in doubt.
Assistant coach Brendon Thomas said: "I'm very pleased with the result - it's always a difficult place to come to. It would have been nice to have gained a bonus point but four points away from home, at Tynedale - I'll settle for that."
MACC: Goodfellow, Allen, Bieniasz, Lear, Stockdale, D. Muckalt (capt), Pearson, Keep, Rice, Newell, Burgess, G. Muckalt, Browning, Frost, Coulbeck. Replacements: Jones, Bostock, Watts, Williams.
