Stockport create chances but unable to overcome Rossendale

Stockport travelled to Rossendale for the postponed return fixture in National 3 North. having had a drawn game when Rossendale visited Headlands Road early in the season. The Stockport scrum was much more secure than in recent weeks and with the backs running well Stockport had most of the possession in the first half, despite having been 7-0 down with only 10 minutes gone. It looked like a tight game, when the teams went in at half time at 14-14, having scored 2 converted tries each. Stockport had missed 3 scoring opportunities as handling errors ended promising attacks. Ashley Platt-Hughes made several good attacking runs from full back and Lewis Bowman was a threatening runner before going off injured late in the game. The second half was not such an even affair with Rossendale adding two converted tries and a penalty to an unconverted try late in the game by Stockport to make it
31-19 to the home side.

There was an early score as Rossendale opted for a scrum in the Stockport 22 and the ball was won cleanly and a break by the scrum half gave them a try on 8 minutes. The Stockport response was good, a drive was held up over the Rossendale line but from the ensuing scrum Stockport moved the ball wide to the left for Jordan Simpson to get the try wide out, Ashley Platt-Hughes, who was Stockport’s man of the match added the conversion. Rossendale went through the phases to go from half way to score under the posts on 30 minutes but again the Stockport response was positive. The ball was moved wide to both left and right before a great run by Platt-Hughes carried on by Waddington resulted in a try for wing Joe Cantrell, Platt-Hughes was again on target to make it 14-14 at he break.

Early in the second half second row Mike Waddington got an interception on half way and it looked like he might just make it to the try line but the Rossendale wing hauled him down 5 metres short. Again some promising opportunities went begging for Stockport, as handling errors took away any advantage. There was however some good defence by Stockport, which prevented Rossendale making the most of their second half attacks before Rossendale added a third try on 60 minutes as they found a gap in the Stockport defence and a fourth 10 minutes later. A penalty on 70 minutes put a losing bonus point out of sight for Stockport with the score on 31-14. But as in the previous two games Stockport finished strongly and try for George Smith followed a quick tap penalty by substitute scrum half Tom Duffy to make it 31-19 at the final whistle.

Next week is another away game at League leaders Sheffield Tigers.