SEDGLEY Tigers put themselves right back into title contention after a sterling second-half display at National Division Two North leaders Macclesfield.

Two tries from Jamie Harrison and one from forward Danny Waddy saw the Park Lane club rack up 24 unanswered points after the break to claim an impressive 27-12 victory.

Coach Geoff Roberts now believes the championship is in the balance after his second-placed side cut the table-toppers' advantage to just three points.

"Providing we can keep ourselves healthy and there are no banana skins, Macclesfield have now got to come back to ours, so it is all there for us," said Roberts.

"We just need to keep everybody fit and doing the same things, keep picking up points through the bad months and we will then get some better pitches to play on in the run in."

The Tigers took the game to Macclesfield from the kick off, dominating possession and territory throughout the match, but their efforts went unrewarded in the first half.

Rhodri Mayor scored a breakaway try for the home side against the run of play in the ninth minute, and while Steve Collins reduced the deficit to 5-3 with a penalty, Macclesfield extended their lead just before the break with a converted penalty try.

Undaunted, and despite playing the second half against a strong wind, the Tigers continued to throw the ball around and were eventually rewarded with tries from Harrison in the 45th and 50th minutes, both converted by Collins.

Waddy then touched down in the 59th minute following a driving maul, and Collins made it five kicks from five after converting the try then adding another penalty eight minutes from time.

"They threw everything at us in the first half," said Roberts. "They came at us in the scrum, like we knew they would. Macclesfield forwards have been very successful at bullying sides.

"But despite that, we probably had the majority of territory and possession, and while we were unable to put points on the board we were chucking the ball about a lot and that probably wore them down for the latter stages of the game.

"We just seemed to take them apart in all areas of the game and the pitch after the break.

"We scored three great tries, two through the backs and one from the forwards.

"There was really only one team in that second half – to score 24 unanswered points, it was a fantastic day for us.

"It puts us right back up there in contention."

An injury to Juan Crous was the only sour note for the Tigers, the captain breaking down in the 10th minute after aggravating a hamstring stain he picked up in the previous weekend's win against Sale.

He is now a major doubt for Saturday's match at home to fourth-placed Caldy, while Shaun Manley will miss that game and the Tigers' fixture at Preston Grasshoppers on December 19 as he completes physical tests to join the Royal Marines.

But long-term absentee Mike Quickenden is in line for a possible return after successfully coming through a match for the seconds at the weekend.

Roberts added: "There are two big challenges coming up before the new year in Caldy and Preston, who we have historically had some very tight matches against.

"We all know what can happen in derby games.

"They will be doing everything in their power to make sure we don’t win and we will have to keep our focus on making sure we don’t slip up."