Jersey 39 Macclesfield 0
Jersey moved to within touching distance of the National One
title after a ruthless second half display put Macclesfield to the
sword.
The Islanders stayed six points clear of Ealing and need four
points from their last two games, against Coventry and Fylde, to
secure promotion to the Championship.
Guy Thompson was the home side's hero, scoring a hat-trick of
tries that settled the result and delivered a precious bonus point
with around 10 minutes to spare. His first followed an electric
50-metre break by Donovan Sanders, the second was an interception
while the third came from a loose ball that was hacked upfield.
Macclesfield's were running on empty by this stage and conceded
further late tries to James Copsey and Jim Brownrigg.
The first half was much tighter - Jersey went ahead early from
Nick Trower's pushover, but the only further points were a
conversion and penalty from Ross Broadfoot.
The visitors opted to kick three penalties to the corner in the
first half, rather than go for goal, but then changed tactics after
the break only for Ross Winney to twice miss the target.
Macclesfield Director of Rugby Geoff Wappett said his team had
never before failed to score during his tenure. He lamented a
series of second-half errors, but praised Jersey's ability to
maximise the chances that came their way.
Attendance: 2,374
Half-time: 10-0
MoM/ Star Man: Guy Thompson (Jersey)
Jersey
Tries: Trower 7, Thompson 43, 66, 73, Copsey 76, Brownrigg 80
Conversions: Broadfoot 7, 66, 73
Penalty: Broadfoot 28
Macclesfield
n/a
Jersey: Le Bourgeois, Copsey, Bishop, Sanders,
Bryce, Broadfoot, McCormack (capt), Maddocks, Felton, Evans,
Hannay, Brownrigg, O'Brien, Thompson, Trower. Subs: Clyde-Smith C,
Gethings, Clyde-Smith T, Griffiths, Maggs.
Macclesfield: Winney (capt), Stobart, O'Regan,
Davenport, Fowles, Eaton, Mulchrone, Mantell, Blackwell, Kent,
Marsh, Williams, Owen, Parkinson, Barker. Subs: Woods, Robinson,
Roddy, Moorhouse, Hughes.
Referee: Andrew Taylorson
