Macclesfield 20, Wharfedale 17

This SSE National League One match was a pitched battle in dreadful weather, large parts of it played on or near the try lines.

The trouble for Wharfedale was that whereas Macclesfield’s defensive misdemeanours were penalised with yellow cards (three of them), Wharfedale’s were penalised with penalty tries (two of them).

The other problem was that Macclefield’s set-piece was simply magnificent, their pack merely being stirred to greater efforts when under strength.

Wharfedale’s tries, all from close quarters, came from James Gough, Dan Solomi and James Tyson.

Lloyd Davies added one conversion, but after his heroics of the previous match, unaccountably missed a simple early three-pointer.

But after another punishing match, much of the coming week’s focus may be again on the treatment table.