In the crucial Blues versus Greens relegation battle Macclesfield came off second best as they were beaten at Wharfedale.

Dean Williams scored the only try for the Blues, while fly-half Tom Barrett kicked 14 points for Wharfedale.

Macclesfield did not get off to the best of starts as captain and kicker Tom Eaton was forced off with a groin injury, Matt Rhodes replacing him at fly-half.

Despite the setback, the Blues led early on through powerful driving from the forwards.

Despite the attentions of several tacklers Williams stretched and tapped the ball down over the goal line. Debutant George Drury took the conversion, but his attempt bounced off the post.

The Blues went straight back on the offensive after the restart, and their next best chance came when Frankie Barker switched the ball out to the right wing for Josh Fowles to run and dive across the goal line, but the touch judge deemed him out of play.

Macclesfield continued to pile on the pressure in the opening 15 minutes, and Matt Rhodes and Tom Cruse came close before their spell of dominance ended with a penalty that handed possession back to Wharfedale to relieve the pressure.

After 28 minutes the home side were able to post their first points as Barrett scored a penalty after Blues’ full-back Matt King was given a yellow.

Fowles then again came close to scoring down the right but for the second time his dive over the line prompted the touch judge to rule him in touch.

Before half-time Barrett added another two penalties to give the Greens a 9-5 lead at the break.

The Blues started the second half with several attacking chances, good runs from King and Edd Stobart gained good field position but the home defence stayed strong and closed up the gaps.

The attacking momentum did not last long however, and as the weather deteriorated the hosts began to attack with fierce determination.

The electric atmosphere at Wharfeside Avenue helped to spur on the Greens to find their first try. Despite a yellow for prop Mark Tampin after 61 minutes, Wharfeside extended their lead with a Barrett drop five minutes later, and soon after that a penalty try was awarded after a powerful driving maul inches from the goal line.

The conversion sailed through the posts to make the final score 19-5, and even a final yellow card five minutes from time for Wharfedale’s Chris Howick was not enough to have any impact and the match ended with a home victory.

Head coach Geoff Wappett said: “It was very disappointing to lose. The first 10 minutes or so were OK, we got into it and got an early score, but losing our kicker and captain wasn’t good.

“With young George Drury having his first game at scrum-half, he’s got the skills but he needed the assistance from Tom.

“Tom’s torn a muscle in his groin really quite badly.?There was no way he could even walk let alone run. It transformed the game when he went off.

“Playing at home makes a heck of a difference and in front a large and noisy crowd they’re are a good team.

“After the game, the first thing I said to the players was that it’s not over, they have four games to play, and we have three. We’re above them still because we’ve won more games than them, so it’s not over by any stretch of the imagination.

“Wharfedale have Tynedale away next week, and the way that Tynedale are playing that will be a difficult game. We are at home to Old Albanians, but if we roll our sleeves up we can get something out of that game.

“It really will be right down to the wire, it’s a question of not throwing in the towel, right up to the very last moment of the season.”