Top took on bottom at Priory Park, as leaders Macclesfield defeated relegation strugglers Huddersfield 22-10 in a closer game than expected.
The hosts opened the scoring on 10 minutes, when their dominant pack won a scrum against the head. The ball found its way to winger Matt King, who finished in the corner.
Macclesfield had the visitors penned into their half and in the 16th minute butchered two clear try scoring opportunities. The deserving score followed on 20 minutes, Elliot Brierley finishing under the posts, Lewis Barker converted, 12-0.
The first half continued in much the same way, Macclesfield dominant but failing to convert the chances into points.
Macc got the first score of the second half on 49 minutes, Elliot Brierley completed his brace, and the hosts looked out of sight.
Huddersfield gritted their teeth and sensed opportunity at the hosts’ failure to convert chances, on 60 minutes the visitors got a deserved score through winger Elliot Fletcher, 17-5.
A Charlie Venables sin bin shortly followed for Macclesfield, and the visitors had the momentum.
Immediately after the sin bin, Fletcher’s second try followed and Huddersfield had the hosts rattled.
Macclesfield managed to weather the storm and with the final play of the game, secured the vital bonus point try, Matt King collecting his own chip in behind to score, 22-10 full time.
Macclesfield
15 Rhodri Mayor, 14 Josh Fowles, 13 Elliot Brierley, 12 Tom Eaton, 11 Matt King, 10 Lewis Barker, 9 Jordan Brookes (c)
1 Marshall Gadd, 2 Paul Millea, 3 Martin Kent, 4 Dave Marwick, 5 Harrison Lewis, 6 Franky Barker, 7 Max Smith, 8 Ryan Parkinson
16 Elliot Millar-Mills, 17 Tom Mantell,18 Sam Moss, 19 Joe Palmer, 20 Charlie Venables
TRIES – King (11, 80) Brierley (21, 49)
CON – L Barker 21
Sin Bin – Venables 63
Huddersfield
15 Tom hodson, 14 Tom Kanauros, 13 Tom Owen, 12 Lewis Workman, 11 Elliot Fletcher, 10 Chris Bell, 9 Jeffrey Daniel
1 Alex Batty, 2 Ross Thornton, 3 Laurence Sanderson, 4 Austen Thompson, 5 Nick Rhodes, 6 Liam Parfitt, 7 Ben Hoyle, 8 Adam Malthouse
16 Tom Baxter, 17 Ed Birkhead, 18 Declan Thompson, 19 Daniel Grainger, 20 Joah Bradley
TRIES – Fletcher 60, 69
referee – Jamie Leahy
Star Man – Max Smith
Attendance – 378
HT Score – 12-0
