MATCH REPORT: National League Two Division North: Stockport 24-29 Harrogate

Even though they are already relegated, Stockport showed brilliant character and spirit in this encounter, but as we have seen for most of the season, they watched a lead unfortunately slip away.

First half tries from Andy Fuller, Sammy Graham and Callum Baldwin saw Stockport carry in their ninth half-time lead of the season.

Harrogate’s scores had come from Willem Enslin and Benjamin Reaveley, but they were put further on the back foot when Daniel Matthews and Andrew Boyde were sin-binned at the start of the second half.

Myles Hall crossed over to extend Port’s lead to 24-14, but his side had spurned a number of opportunities whilst Harrogate were down to 13 men.

That came back to bite them as Callum Irivne slotted over a penalty for the visitors and Samuel Bottomley along with Boyde, scored tries to complete the comeback inside 14 second half minutes.

Try scorer Myles Hall said: “We were unlucky out there today, but showed a lot of character. We are looking forward to next season after a tough campaign, but again, we showed we are moving in the right direction.

“When they went down to 13 men, we weren’t firing on all cylinders and it cost us. It was another game where we couldn’t hold out for the win.

“The positives are that we have got a number of young lads out there, so to put in the performance we did, shows real tenacity so hopefully next season we will be back our best.”

The game had started in an electric fashion. From a Port knock-on, Harrogate moved the ball right to find Enslin who drove over the line to give Harrogate a 0-7 lead after just two minutes. Irvine added the conversion.

But Port responded straight away. From the base of a ruck after a kick to the corner from Jonny Edwards, scrum-half Will Batterbury produced an intelligent pass blind to find Fuller and the skipper dived over from close range for 5-7.

Harrogate came right back at Stockport from the restart and 11 minutes in, we had already seen three tries. The visitors won a penalty and after a rolling maul and a few phases, Reaveley touched down with Irvine landing the conversion.

Stockport once again matched Harrogate from the kick-off as immediate pressure forced a knock-on.

Jonny Edwards found touch with the resulting punt and after great work by the forwards at a number of breakdowns, the ball subsequently found centre Jamie Anthony on Harrogate’s 22.

He proceeded to pop the ball left to the supporting Graham who stepped through the defence to gallop clear and score by the posts. Ashley Platt-Hughes struck his first conversion of the afternoon for 12-14.

The home side were in the ascendency and they took the lead for the first time in the match on 20 minutes.

Edwards kicked a neat grubber which was carried into touch by Harrogate and from the resulting line-out Baldwin barged his way over to secure Port’s fourth bonus point in as many weeks. Platt-Hughes struck a sweet conversion.

Stockport controlled the rest of the half and they were not letting their opponents have an inch. The home side took a 19-14 lead into the break and they were looking confident.

Their confidence grew in abundance in the opening stages of the second period as first Matthews and then Boyde, were sin-binned after Harrogate had conceded a string of penalties as Stockport hammered at the door.

With the away side down to 13 men, Port could ultimately end this contest, but instead, they blew a number of chances to increase their score as Harrogate showed a strong defence.

After Port were held up on the line, they eventually took one of their opportunities. The ball was spread left at pace and Mike Kaciubskyji and Hall isolated the Harrogate defender which allowed Hall to spin away from the final tackle and cross over in the corner.

Stockport led by 10 points, but there was a real sense that they had missed their chance to win this game and like so many times this campaign, it came back to haunt them.

Back to their full compliment, Harrogate added a penalty through Irvine on the hour mark and then showed great resolve in defence as Mike Waddington was held up on the line after good breaks from Edwards and Anthony.

Then Harrogate dealt the all too familiar hammer blow to Stockport as they reduced Port’s lead to just two points.

From a penalty, the ball was flung to Bottomley who raced away from Stockport tackles to score and put his team in control.

It got worse for the home side as Bottomley produced another excellent break. He sprinted his way into the Port 22 and after the forwards profited at the rucks, Boyde gave his side a 24-29 lead to complete the turnaround with five minutes remaining.

Stockport tried to fight back one more time, but just couldn’t get it together as Harrogate held on for victory and left the hosts wondering yet again, how they hadn’t won this game.

Stockport welcome Otley to Headlands Road next weekend. Kick-off is 2.15pm.

Stockport: Platt-Hughes; Barlow, Kaciubskyji, J Anthony, Hall; J Edwards, Batterbury; Fuller (capt), Longmore, C Anthony; Eccles, Waddington; Graham, Marsland, Baldwin.

Replacements: Broadhurst, Rimmer, Gaskell, Fletcher. (Stockport only had four subs)

Tries: Fuller, Graham, Baldwin, Hall.
Cons: Platt-Hughes (2)

Harrogate: Parrish; Bottomley, Minikin, L Edwards, Barnard; Irvine, Matthews; Stuffins, Nyemba, Reaveley; Brady, Harvey; Coser, Wood, Enslin.

Replacements: Yorke, Boyde, Dewsnip, Morland, Dench.

Tries: Enslin, Reaveley, Bottomley, Boyde.
Cons: Irvine (3)
Pen: Irvine