Lymm win heals
NAME OF LEAGUE
TWO DECKS MACCLESFIELD ............ 27 LYMM............................... 15
MACCLESFIELD gave their supporters an early Christmas present with a win over local rivals Lymm, after two defeats including the last minute sickener away to Rossendale and the plucky but narrow loss at home to table toppers Billingham.
The first half was, the old cliché of a tale of two halves, as the home side dominated the early exchanges, repeatedly turning over the visitors scrum and forcing mistakes on their exits keeping the men in green pegged back in their 22.
It was 22 minutes before Lymm were able to escape their won half, but Macc will be disappointed they didn’t make more of that period only leading 10-0 despite dominating, as the stodgy pitch made for a raft of handling errors, combined with a slight sense of over exuberance in the red zone at times.
The Priory Park crowd were sent into raptures on 16 minutes, when Jordan Simpson picked up from the base of a scrum 5m out and powered over to finish on his own, in a like for like copy of his try at Rossendale the week before, to break the deadlock.
The maul stuttered but Macc were drilling Lymm at scrum time, and after being held up over the line twice, this layed the platform for the backs to show good handling skills and finish in the corner through winger Dan Lomax, playing only his third game of the season due to injury, to lead 10-0 after 27 minutes.
The more easterly of the two Cheshire outfits were cruising but appeared to take their foot off the accelerator, momentarily, when not clearing their lines on kick reception, and this glimmer of light allowed Lymm to swing the momentum for the remainder of the half.
First Scott Redfern slotted a penalty on the half hour in the travelling side’s first venture in to the Macc ’ 22 and then poor discipline gave them several opportunities to maul from 5m out meaning the Macc lads were pegged back on their own 5m for the remainder of the half.
There was controversy as the home side appeared to have repelled the kitchen sink that was thrown at them, when Tom Morton put the ball into touch believing the half time whistle had been signalled but the referee called for the lineout and from this Lymm pulled back within two points, Rasheed collecting Redfern’s cross field kick; 10-8 at the break.
Strangely Lymm must have been the happier changing room at half time given they only trailed by two points despite the onslaught Macclesfield heaped on them in the first 27 minutes.
Macc head Coach Andy Appleyard must have preached about being tidier at the back to avoid inviting the kind of pressure his team endured before half time letting their opponents back into the game, and showing more patience in attack when in good field position.
After the break the home side appeared to have re-found their mojo and were picking and driving towards the sticks from 5m out and looking likely to extend their lead until the ball leaked out the back of a ruck and despite scrum half Sam Stelmazsek’s attempt to recover the ball, a Lymm