Amateur RU: Huddersfield 10 Macclesfield 20

Oct 19 2009 by David Lockwood, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Improved show but no reward

National II North

NO-ONE could complain about Huddersfield’s commitment against Macclesfield – but sadly they still came away without a point from their clash with the League-leaders at Lockwood Park.

The performance was certainly a big improvement on last week’s poor showing at Hull Ionians, particularly from the forwards, but they still struggled to find a way through the visitors’ cast-iron defence, until late in the game when substitute hooker Francis Entressengle was on the end of a driving maul and got the touchdown near the posts.

There was little to choose between the two sides in the first half with Chris Johnson ruling out Ross Winney’s 14th minute short-range penalty with one of his own two minutes later from a good 38 yards out.

With the pack holding their own against Macclesfield, the backs found more opportunities, and regular full-back Donovan van Vuuren, playing at centre in place of the injured Ben Paxman, was twice involved in good runs down the flanks, first with Lee Paxman and then with winger Adam Ryder, while at the other end the visitors went close before being held up on the line and were then penalised for holding on which gave Johnson the chance to relieve the pressure.

But having defended really well and looking set to go in at the break all square, a momentary lapse in concentration allowed Macclesfield to swiftly move the ball through several pairs of hands out to their left-winger Josh Fowles, who stretched his legs out in a 20-yard race to the line to cross in the corner.

Winney landed a great conversion for a 10-3 lead, which, but for a tremendous last ditch tackle from young full-back Tom Owen who bundled the opposite winger Matt Simpson into touch a yard short, would have been even greater.

Despite having conceded a score just before the break, Huddersfield came out with renewed enthusiasm to start the second half, and within two minutes had forced a penalty, but unfortunately Johnson pushed it wide from some 40 yards out.

Gradually as the half progressed Macclesfield began to gain the upperhand, and crucially No8 Dan Hyde was sin-binned for holding on which signalled a spell of concerted pressure by the visitors, and finally it told when from a scrum five yards out, flanker Dan Baines found a gap in the home defence and dived over for a try near the posts which Winney converted.