Ionians outscored Macclesfield by four tries to three, producing a trio of well crafted scores and a fine individual effort from debutant Maliq Holden, but it wasn’t enough to compensate for an error strewn, ill-disciplined performance. At one time Ionians were battling with 13 players on the rain drenched pitch whilst two players languished in the bin.
Torrential rain made handling conditions difficult. A well drilled home side adapted better than Ionians, who had an inauspicious start, knocking on from the kick-off. Macclesfield gathered the loose ball and drove forward. Ionians were penalised at the breakdown and worse, lost James Sanderson to a head injury.
Macclesfield drilled the penalty to touch. A clean catch was driven towards the line and several darts from close range ended with No.8 James Oliver crashing over. Harry Oliver tagged on the conversion from in front of the posts to give the hosts an early 7 point lead.
Ionians couldn’t establish any continuity, due to both the vigorous approach of the home side and their own handling deficiencies; Macclesfield took full advantage, with Oliver H. knocking over three routine penalties to put the blues comfortably ahead, 16 – 0 after half an hour.
Lewis Minikin had chanced his arm with a long range penalty, a big ask in the conditions. He managed the distance but didn’t quite gauge the direction and Ionians had to wait until the 36th minute to finally register their first points.
A penalty for off-side was put to touch five metres out and a perfectly executed catch and drive resulted in a try for the industrious Adam Brankley. The difficult conversion drifted agonisingly wide, but the visitors were underway at last.
Like buses, you wait for ages then two come at once, and so it was with Ionians tries. Another penalty went to touch and Ionians spun the ball across to Minikin L. He made a half break and despite the close attention of three defenders he was able to slip a backhanded pass out to James Watts who sprinted away to the posts. Minikin L. added the extras and both sides took a brief respite from the rain with the visitors trailing by a 4 point margin, 16 -12.
Ionians made a much better start to the second half. They kept the blues fenced in their own half and despite losing possession as they threatened the line, they recovered to re-launch an attack that should have resulted in a try.
Jack Townend set the move off with a strong run at the heart of the Macclesfield defence. The ball was shipped out and Cam Burnhill came on an arcing run to sprint down the five metre line. All it needed was a decent pass. It never came; the ball went behind him and the chance went begging.
Minikin L. was wide with another long-range effort before Ionians introduced players off the bench. There was an immediate impact. Watts, now at scrum-half, whipped a pass out to replacement 10, Ben Smith, he cleverly delayed a pass to allow Burnhill to cut through the 10 – 12 channel and race clear to the posts. Minikin L. obliged off the tee and Ionians were in front for the first time, 16 – 19.
In fifteen minutes of rugby Ionians had gone from nothing to being in front, playing the kind of rugby they are capable of. The question was, would Macclesfield let them continue? The answer came soon enough.
Macclesfield sprang back to life and the backs and forwards combined to execute a superb passage of play that resulted in Harry Blackwell sliding over out wide. Oliver H. banged over the conversion to snatch back the lead.
The home side piled on the pressure and Ionians began to buckle. They conceded a run of penalties and eventually tried the patience of the referee sufficiently to warrant a yellow card. The innocent Jonny Clarke was sent to the bin and Ionians sacrificed Burnhill to allow Rikki Stout to return to the field to prop.
Some outstanding last ditch defence kept Macclesfield at bay until Ionians also had George Mewburn dispatched to the bin and the blues immediately made their superior numbers tell. They stretched the defence first left then right to create a gap for winger Immanuel Shute to squeeze in at the corner. No goal, but the lead was extended to 28 – 19.
Attack is said to be the best form of defence, and it worked for Ionians. Townend collected a clearance kick and ran it back to halfway. The ball was moved via Minikin and Smith to Holden in the middle of the field. He set off and weaved his way through a nonplussed defence to score between the posts. It was a real piece of Maliq magic.
Minikin’s conversion brought Ionians back to within two points, at 28 -26, with 10 minutes remaining. Ionians were perhaps lucky to remain at 13 players with Adam Brankley sailing close to the wind but they were intent on trying to snatch victory.
Oliver finally settled the match with an 80th minute penalty leaving both sides having to settle for less than they wanted but about what their efforts deserved. Free scoring Macclesfield maintained their winning start to the season but failed to garner a bonus point for the first time this season and Ionians got two points from an away match for the second game in a row.
It doesn’t get any easier for Ionians; next week league leaders Sheffield visit Brantingham Park to provide potentially the sternest test of the season. See you down there.