CALDY were the only local side in league action last Saturday and upset the odds as they got the better of runaway National Two North leaders and title favourites Macclesfield in a ding dong affair at Paton Field.

It finished 29-24 in favour of Caldy which meant sweet revenge for a 27-34 defeat in the first meeting last September.

Conditions were hardly ideal for this latest contest but two excellent and talented teams put on a good show for the hardy fans.

It was a ninth success for the Wirral club and they now sit fourth in the table, four points behind Sedgley Park and Stourbridge and eighteen adrift of their Cheshire rivals but with a game in hand on them and Sedgley.

Caldy have a balance of home games in their favour so it is getting very interesting as they look for an upward move to what would be the highest ranking in their long history.

Caldy started well and built up a 12-0 lead with tries via Nick Royle and Forbes Edwards plus a conversion by Gavin Roberts but Macclesfield clawed their way back with similar scores to make it 12-12 at the half-way stage.

A brace of penalties from Roberts took it to 18-12 but scrum-half Jordan Brookes ran in an opportunist Macclesfield try from a scrummage on the 22 line and the conversion by Lewis Barton edged the visitors in front 19-18.

Then a corner touchdown by Josh Fowles from a close-in set piece took it to 18-24 and it looked ominous for the Wirral outfit.

But they lack nothing in spirit and endeavour and even with skipper Andrew Soutar serving time in the sin bin managed a third try near the corner by Royle following a tap penalty move.

The goal was missed but it was down to a one point margin again.

An excellent angled penalty by Roberts put Caldy in front 26-24 well into the last quarter and he repeated the dose moments later as Macclesfield erred again.

The home side were then made to defend in heroic fashion as the Macclesfield forwards laid siege to their line in the dying moments.

There was to be no way through before the final whistle brought welcome relief to all but the visiting clan.

Caldy took five points and Macclesfield two via a losing bonus and four touchdowns.

The league programme resumes in earnest this coming weekend after a two-week break for most players.

Caldy face another big one with Stourbridge this time the visitors for a 2pm start. Hold on to your seats.

Wirral who are well in promotion contention in National Three North face an away trip to Huddersfield YM whilst Birkenhead Park who slipped down the table in the closing weeks of 2015 have a cross river derby against Waterloo at Blundellsands.

South Lancashire/Cheshire One fixtures include Anselmians v Manchester, New Brighton at Bowdon and Hoylake against Sefton at Melrose Avenue.

Merseyside West provides two derbies with Port Sunlight against Oxton Parkonians at the Leverhulme Playing Fields and Prenton against Oldershaw at The Dell.

Ellesmere Port have an away trip to Birchfield.