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McPherson leads the way for Marple

26/11/2008

Congleton 5 Marple 39: MARPLE progressed into the quarter-finals of the Cheshire Junior Plate competition with a 39-5 victory against Congleton.

Marple made several changes to the previous week’s team, due to injuries to Paul White and Simon Owens (hamstring), Luke Green (shoulder) and Simon Gregg (ribs), but the strength in depth of the squad meant their replacements were more than capable of keeping the team winning.

Skipper for the day, Jon MacPherson, opened the scoring for Marple with a pick up and drive from a ruck, as first team captain Stuart Brown looked on from the sidelines.

The Wood Lane side continued to pressurise Congleton and scored three more tries in the first half from Kevin Melville, Gareth Llewelwyn and a second from MacPherson.

Olly Skelton converted one of the tries. There was no reply from the home side as they struggled to get into the Marple half in the first 40 minutes.

In the second half, Marple’s Fred Contvriend received a selfless pass from Rob Boot-Handford to score in the corner.

Congleton grabbed a consolation try, but Marple then took back control and scored two more tries.

Another try from Melville, and one from Tom Bate, who also converted, after taking over kicking duties from Skelton who left the field with a shoulder injury.

Next week Marple travel to Liverpool to take on Collegiate in the league.

Marple’s second team had a great win against a previously unbeaten Buxton first team in the Miller’s league, while their third team moved up to fourth place in Division Five by beating Sandbach’s fourth team.