Bournville 13 Macclesfield 24
Macclesfield gatecrashed Owen Williams’s farewell party by securing their first away win of the season on their first visit to Avery Fields.
It was an emotional afternoon for Williams who had the honour of leading out the side on his 100th and final appearance for Bournville before work commitments take him to London.
Bournville desperately wanted to send the full-back on his way with a win, but they finished empty-handed against a well-organised Macclesfield side who enjoyed scrum superiority and whose defence restricted Bourns to just one try from James Mann.
Williams produced his trademark assured display – safe under the high ball despite the strong downfield wind and penetrative in attack – but it was not quite enough to inspire Bournville to victory.
This was a sixth straight defeat, and third in a row at Avery Fields, and there was not even the consolation of a losing bonus point as Macclesfield captain Harry Oliver kicked three penalties with the wind at his back in the second-half.
Bournville’s poor discipline proved costly with a high penalty count in the middle third of the pitch costing them opportunities to put Macclesfield under pressure and allowing the visitors to switch from defence to attack.
All in all, it was another frustrating afternoon for all concerned with the loss of flanker Adam Shaw and acting-captain Joe Jenkins with head injuries in the first-half adding to an already lengthy casualty list.
The three week break over the festive period should give Bourns the chance to rest some battered bodies and regroup ahead of a long trip to Redruth on January 11.
Bournville did start brightly with Williams carving a huge hole in Macclesfield’s defence with a powerful early run, but Macclesfield managed to check the attack and then scored a breakaway try when right wing Samuel Adu galloped away and beat the cover defence.
Bourns replied with a sustained attack and a try from James Mann that Freddie Morgan converted but another brilliant attack from Williams went unrewarded and it was Macclesfield who regained the lead when Oliver landed a penalty into the wind.
Replacement flanker Huw Davies then drove after Macclesfield built the pressure with Oliver adding the conversion.
Morgan banged over a wind-assisted penalty from halfway with the final kick of the first-half but Bournville needed to play with composure and discipline into the wind if they were to overturn a five points deficit after the break.
Bourns lost Stef Thorp to the sin bin for a high tackle which Oliver punished with a 54th minute penalty and although Morgan quickly cancelled that out with a kick from in front of the posts, Oliver struck twice more in the final quarter to seal victory.
*Jacob Fewtrell produced a commanding display to help Bournville Blues to a 56-5 victory over Worcester Seconds in their latest Counties Three Midlands West (South) match at Avery Fields.
The fly-half scored a try and controlled the game with his half-back partner, Reiss Price, scoring a hat-trick of tries.
Matt Serrell-Cook also impressed with a brace of tries with George Ayliffe and Chris Crutchley also crossing.
The Blues beat Worcester 129-0 earlier in the season and it would have been easy for the visitors to have taken the easy option by forfeiting this match. But they showed some proper rugby values by honouring the fixture and for playing their part in an entertaining and competitive contest.
Through the Viewfinder
Oh dear! Not too sure what happened there, but as is the Bournville way, we will find a solution.
The light was, as you saw for yourselves, dreadful. I left the final photo of the actual game unaltered to illustrate this. The earlier the kick-off the better for me.
A big thankyou to Owen Williams. Always a pleasure to watch your silky smooth running and your confidence in dealing with the high kicks that came your way. Brilliant.
“Less of the drivel I hear you shout! Where is the dodgy selection of photos you have already prepared us for, with all this talk of ‘poor light’ again?”
Only a few this week, busy helping Santa.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from
Sully, Bournville’s always friendly (and free) photographer
