Kirkby Lonsdale 24-54 Macclesfield

Kirkby Lonsdale were unable to avenge their earlier defeat to Macclesfield on Saturday, going down 54-24 at Underley Park.
Harry Huddleston scores a try.Harry Huddleston scores a try.
Harry Huddleston scores a try.

It was a pretty even first 10 minutes until the visitors got a move going which ended with a try in the left corner, converted to make the score 0-7.

However, Kirkby hit back when full back Chris Ramwell fed his left wing Harry Huddleston who had a little bit of space just inside his own half.

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His pace and running skills leftthe defenders clutching at air as he scored near the corner flag, Mike Fearon’s conversion drifted by the posts but Kirkby were on the board at 5-7 as the first quarter drew to a close.

On the half-hour Macclesfield broke from the back of a ruck and a missed tackle later they were in under the posts, the conversion extending their lead to 
5-14.

Five minutes later and as Kirkby were mounting a promising attack the visitors intercepted a close range pass, they caught Kirkby up flat and went in for their third converted try to make it 5-21 with five minutes of normal time remaining in the half.

Kirkby used the time well, Scott Armstrong had been making his presence felt at outside centre with a number of penetrating runs and was again attacking the Macc 22m.

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Cover closed in and Armstrong chose to put a grubber kick through for his runners – it was a beauty and Fearon gathered the ball to score.

Fearon lined up the conversion but he’d taken a knock in the act of scoring and, still a bit groggy, pushed it a little wide and the players went in at half time with the score 10-21.

Macclesfield scored a converted try after only two minutes of the second half to stretch their lead to 10-28 and followed it up soon after with another, this time unconverted and it was quickly 10-33.

Injuries were taking their toll, Kirkby had emptied the bench and when more injuries came spent a good deal of the second half with only 14 players on the pitch.

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Two more converted tries took the score through 10-40 and then 10-47 but on the half hour mark of the second period Kirkby struck back with their third try and it was Huddleston’s magic again, this time converted by Fearon to make it 17-47.

The next score was Macclesfield’s, another converted try to bring up the 50 at 17-54 but even though the game was well beyond them Kirkby were able to add another try of their own in injury time when the back row forward Craig Galbraith forced his way over after a period of pressure near the Macclesfield line, Fearon nailing the conversion to make the final score 24-54.