Blaydon 24 Macclesfield 24

Blaydon are still chasing that elusive first win of the season but on the evidence of this tremendous second half fightback against Macclesfield they should not have to wait too much longer.
.
They scored first and were lively in the backs but when the Macclesfield backs got going they proved to be even livelier, and well prompted by their fly-half Tom Eaton ran Blaydon ragged. Some indifferent tackles made it easier for them and by the interval Ryan Parkinson, Eaton and Max Smith (2) had clocked up a try bonus point and Blaydon were 5-24 in arrears.
“I said at half-time we’ve made a team not as good as us look better than us. I thought we were going to get nothing out of the game but we managed to get 3 points. If we can put it together for 80 minutes we should be in good order” said director of rugby Micky Ward.
.
The visitors at first looked to be carrying on where they had left off at the break but Blaydon survived and then lifted the pressure on themselves in the 46th minute when Jason Smithson stormed into the 22. Chris Wearmouth took it on, Jason popped up again, and with Macclesfield in disarray hooker Jack Beckwith added to his first half score with another close range effort, Ryan Foremen converting.
.
The tide had turned, the Blaydon forwards were now dominating in the scrums and each time the visitors infringed the penalty was kicked up the touchline. Robbie Kalbraier was next to benefit when Macclesfield back-pedalled, and another Foreman conversion made it just a 5 point deficit.
.
Chances came thick and fast but crucially they were robbed of the ball at a 5 metre scrum and then a driving line-out. Something had to give and on 74 minutes they pushed Macclesfield off their own scrum ball for Max Connon to put replacement winger Tom Grimes over in the corner.
.
A difficult conversion to win the game but Foreman, who kicked excellently throughout, saw his attempt drift narrowly wide.

John Brennan