After going through a pleasing purple patch the Vale came down to earth at Priory Park where they failed to build on their earlier promise and allowed the initiative to swing firmly in Macclesfield’s favour when prop, Joe Stevens suffered a badly gashed head wound. With no medical assistance available he was taken to Macclesfield Hospital for treatment by a home side supporter and was collected by his fellow players on their way home.
Before departure of Joe Stevens in the twentieth minute, the Vale were very much in contention, only three points adrift but when the scrums went uncontested a valuable weapon in Vale’s armoury was effectively spiked.
Once again changed were made in the line up from the previous week, six in the pack and nine overall. Initially the Vale made light of the situation that confronted them and after three minutes they took the lead when Jordan Fern collected an accurate chip ahead from Alex Briggs, who skipper for the day, for a try which Alex converted.
Macclesfield came back strongly into the contest to pounce on some untidy play from the Vale adjacent to their goal line with an unconverted try in the sixth minute. Four minutes later a well programmed Macclesfield attack ended with a converted try.
Ethan Robertson crossed for a try in the thirteenth minute which Alex Briggs converted but the Vale were unable to consolidate their position and hold onto their lead and fell behind to an unconverted try.
The whole direction of the game changed when the scrums went uncontested and before half time Macclesfield extended their lead with two tries one of which was converted.
Vale began the second half with a neatly taken try from “Mr Versatile,” aka, James Curran, who was playing in the back row. From the front of a line he surged downfield in a move that led to James touching down for an unconverted try in the forty seventh minute.
Alas there was to be no dramatic turn round for the visitors because their game began to fragment, tackles were missed, passes coughed up and with the home side’s number eight creating mayhem the Vale found themselves backed into a corner and starting to wilt.
Macclesfield sensed their opponents were starting to flag and without too much effort added three more tries, two being converted.
It had been a disappointing outcome for the Vale but once the scrums became uncontested they struggled, some positives occurred none more so than the return to the colours of prop James Hesketh, who came through unscathed, after an absence of three seasons due to injury and Olly Johnson made worked hard throughout.