Wilmslow Vikings 33 Macclesfield Lions 28

WILMSLOW Rugby Club’s seconds edged past Macclesfield to progress in the Brooke Edgley Technical Services Cup.

After absorbing early pressure from the Macc side in the first fifteen minutes without undue alarm, the Vikings got into their stride.

Centre Louis Bundy-Davies was first on the score sheet when he brushed aside a weak attempt at a tackle on the Macc 22.

Two more tries followed from ‘catch and drive’ territory by Adam Taher and Conor McMurdock.

Macc hit back from a short penalty move just before half time to make it 19-7 at the break.

The Vikings had much the better of proceedings in the first thirty minutes of the second half, deservedly adding two more tries.

Winger Sam Beckett got the first of them by coming in off his wing to finish off a period of Vikings’ pressure.

The fifth try followed immediately when flanker Josh Whitely made ground from the restart before releasing full back Rick Muckle for a dash to the line from halfway.

At this stage, with the score at 33-7, you couldn’t see a way back for Macc but you would have been wrong.

Up to that point, they had failed to make anything of their possession.

Their lineout had been uncertain, their ball retention on the ground vulnerable and their passing wayward.

Their coaches then did what coaches are supposed to do and brought on a pair of youngsters, presumably to see how they would make out in what was apparently a losing cause.

Maybe the Vikings were now running out of puff and were holding on to the ball on the ground or lying over it too much.

Referee Steve Heaney wasn’t about to have any of that, the penalty count against them mounted and all of a sudden Macc got three tries from open play to set up a nail-biting last few minutes.