Stockport surrendered their 100% record for the season when they returned empty handed from a long trip to Middlesbrough. Early possession for Stockport failed to break down a determined home side defence and when Middlesbrough did go on the offense they did so with a simple directness. This brought them a 10-0 lead after 20 minutes. Stockport were seeing plenty of the ball with their line out working well but a string of minor errors were hampering their progress. Just before half time Stockport mounted another attack and from a scrum 5 metres out Fly half Jonny Edwards found a gap in the Middlesbrough defence and went over for a try. He added the conversion for a 10-7 score at half time.
Stockport had the wind at their back for the 2nd half but alarm bells really started to ring in the visitor’s camp when, within 3 minutes of the restart, all their hard work at the end of the 1st half was undone when the home side recorded another converted try for a 17-7 lead. Stockport hopes of a quick reply were not helped by a yellow card for scrum half Matt Bebbington and in the end the next score did not come until the 33rd minute of the half and it went to Middlesbrough and with the conversion their 24-7 lead never looked like being challenged.
It was clear that the home side had given everything with their physio working overtime as the pitch was littered with their players at every break down but it wasn’t until the dying seconds that Stockport’s hooker Tom Cruse crashed over from close range. Even with Steve Perason’s quickly taken drop kick conversion there was no time left to chase a losing bonus point. Final score 24-10. Computer analysis would have shown that Stockport had 70%+ of the possession and territory but came away with less than 30% of the points on the board.

This weekend Stockport return home to Headlands Road against Lymm. Kick Off - 3.0pm