Stockport took on a very powerful Birkenhead team at Headlands Road and despite being 10-13 down after 60 minutes, scored 5 late tries to complete a 41-13 bonus point victory. With Bradford and Bingley losing Stockport are now 13 points clear at the top of the table, with a game in hand. The visitors had a big pack and some powerful runners and had Stockport under pressure for long periods of the game, creating several scoring opportunities. However the Stockport defence was excellent, taking the sting out of the visitors efforts and conceding only one try before a more expansive approach resulted in 5 tries in the final 20 minutes.
Birkenhead were first on the scoreboard with a penalty after 5 minutes, Stockport had to resist a period of pressure while hooker Tom Cruse was in the sin bin and succeeded in keeping the visitors out. Fullback George Cook looked to have scored after good running by Jonny Edwards and Tom Cruse but was just in touch before he got the ball down. Number 8 Jordan Pearson was driven over for the first of his 3 tries after a number of good phases 5 minutes before half time and scored his second from a scrum and drive before the break to make it 10-3.
Birkenhead camped in the Stockport half for the whole of the 3rd quarter, scoring an early penalty and a converted try to go into the lead 10-13 after 55 minutes. On as a substitute Ben Davey got a try from a lineout and drive as Stockport eventually got into the Birkenhead 22. Birkenhead then created more pressure but the home defence was good, Cook collected a kick in his own half and made ground before offloading to wing James Drew, who ran in from 30 metres to score the bonus point try. Drew got his second three minutes later going in under the posts after good handling and a run by skipper Dave Marwick into the Birkenhead 22. Jonny Edwards converted. Pearson got his third with another good forward drive before Drew got his third, running in from halfway after good running out of defence by Pearson and centre Craig Cooper. Edwards converted both tries to make the final score very convincing at 41-13.