MACKSVILLE hit the road north to take on the Grafton Ghosts on Sunday.

The Sea Eagles under 18’s remain on the top of the ladder after a 18-18 draw.

The Macksville youngsters scored four tries to Grafton’s three but only converted one.

The Ghosts converted all three of their tries to see the match end in a hard-fought draw.

Nakein Adams scored two tries, with Mitchell Martin and Dominic Rouse scoring one each.

Rouse also kicked the one goal.

With six wins and a draw from their seven games so far this season the Sea Eagles maintain a three point buffer on top of the table.

The Macksville woman’s tackle side secured a tight come-from-behind win similar to the previous week.

The Ghosts led 8-0 with two tries before Macksville’s Clancy Irvine crashed over the line out wide to bring the Sea Eagles back into the game.

The visitors got another chance to attack before halftime after a Grafton mistake, but ran out of room on the left and were forced into touch, going in at half time behind 8-4.

The same great attacking play midway through the second half saw Macksville march downfield with a great run from Georgia Dent.

A series of clever offloads and passes brought Macksville to the Ghosts’ line before Marli Bateman dived over from dummy half to score on the last tackle and level the match at 8-8.

The conversion from five metres left of the post went through to give Macksville to the lead for the first time in the match, 10-8.

The remaining quarter of the game was tight and tough.

A superb covering tackle from Macksville fullback Layla Smith inside the last minute, when Grafton looked certain to score, kept the Ghosts out.

The visitors’ 10-8 win cements their second place position on the ladder.

In the reserves fixture, Macksville continued on the try-scoring spree, leading 6-0 after four minutes on their way to a twelve-tries-to-one romp.

Tries came at regular intervals for the Sea Eagles, who led 36-0 at half time and went on with the job in the second half to run out winners 62-6.

Two tries each went to Jai Whaddy, Jimmy Cutmore, Cameron Cohen, Tommy Martin and Dave Lindsay, with one each to Mitch Lonergan and Samuel Radoll.

Cameron Cohen kicked five goals, while Rhiley Maxwell added another two.

Macksville remains first on the ladder on for and against, with the Sea Eagles averaging just over 34 points per game in attack and a tick over eleven points against per game.

The Sea Eagles first grade had a chance to move to second on the ladder but a tough first half saw them trail 14-0 at half time.

The second stanza was a much more even contest with youngster Rielly Laverty involved in both second half tries.

For the first, he put a chip over the top for his outside backs and then followed up on the inside to score near the posts, converted by Andrew Blair.

Later in the match he put a grubber kick into the in-goal for winger Wez Brown, who won the race and ground the ball for a try.

The match ended 20-10 in the Ghosts’ favour.

Macksville had their chances but errors at critical times of the second half cost them possession, field position and ultimately the match.

The Sea Eagles are home next Sunday in the local darby against Nambucca Roosters with all the action kicking off at 11am with the under 18’s at Allan Gillett Oval.

By Mick BIRTLES and Nigel WILBOW