MATCH REPORT: National League Division Two North: Caldy 40-30 Stockport

Two converted tries scored by Ben Marsland and Ashley Platt-Hughes and two Mark Edwards penalties gave the visitors an 11-20 half-time lead after a Ben Jones try, a Richard Vasey penalty and a John Broxson drop goal for the hosts.

Simon Green went over for Stockport to increase their lead to 11-27 and it looked like they could have been on for back to back wins.

But Port failed to take their opportunities and along with mistakes; it allowed Caldy back into the game as tries from Andrew Soutar, John Weir, Tommy Banks and Gavin Roberts along with a penalty from Souter completed the comeback and sealed the victory.

Coach Matthew Bebbington after the game said: “You see the score line at the end and it’s only by 10 points.

“We made a line break just before half-time and another one just after half-time so that’s 10 maybe 14 points. We then took a quick tap penalty with 10 minutes to go when we were up in the game, rather than taking the three points and that’s potentially 17 points and we lost by 10. There are always going to be mistakes, but its taking those critical chances.

“The effort and commitment from the players was absolutely spot on and faultless. Straight after a game people’s heads are down, but they will be fine on Tuesday in training and if we work on some areas we can get a positive result at home next week against Hull.”

This was Caldy’s third consecutive home game and they boast a 100 per cent record at Paton Field so far this season, but that record looked in jeopardy after 40 minutes.

Edwards picked up from where he left off from last week with the boot for Port, as he made a solid start after 4 minutes kicking a penalty after some poor early errors from Caldy.

Caldy then made amends to their supporters on nine minutes as from a scrum; Jones fainted to go one way and went the other to fool the Stockport defence to slide over in the right corner for 5-3.

The early exchanges were penalty stricken and the actual standard of rugby wasn’t the best, but Port nudged themselves back in front through the boot of Edwards after 11 minutes.

The game then sprung into life as Caldy centre Gavin Roberts thought he had touched down after a delicate kick through by fly-half Broxson, but a Caldy player had moved to soon when the kick was played and was caught offside.

It wasn’t long before Caldy were back in front after they knocked over a penalty midway through the half, but it was Stockport who decided to take the game by the scuff of the neck.

From a ruck on the left hand side in the Caldy 22, the ball fell loose to Marsland who waltzed into the corner for his second try in as many games. Edwards added the extras.

Straight from the restart, the Red, Green and Whites added seven more points on the board. Caldy switched off and tight-head prop Craig Anthony broke the line. He flicked the ball to Dan Eccles, who found Platt-Hughes who went alone for the line after a good decoy run by winger Joe Cantwell.

The Wirral outfit looked stunned, but it took them just four minutes to reduce Stockport’s lead to nine points as Broxson nailed a drop goal.

In the final minutes of the half, it was like watching a Sevens game and Port should of taken advantage of the opened nature of the match, but didn’t give the ball after a good line break with the try line beckoning.

Unlike against Huddersfield last week, Stockport didn’t rest on their advantage and increased it three minutes into the second half. Caldy's Stuart Cross was sin-binned for a high tackle on Elliot Fletcher and Stockport punished the hosts.

Green cleverly saw a gap and picked up from the ruck to score under the posts. Edwards comfortably added another two points to the lead.

Caldy hit back on 50 minutes as Soutar walked in his try – which he converted - after a good move from left to right by the hosts making the score 18-27.

The game took the format of a Sevens style match again and once more Stockport missed an opportunity to score another try after a good line break and you wondered whether these chances would come back to haunt them in this Cheshire derby.

Caldy then made the score 21-27 after a penalty from Soutar and then started to turn the screw on the tiring legs of Stockport.

After a long spell of pressure by the hosts with numerous penalties been awarded, they finally got their third try of the afternoon as replacement Weir drove over from a lineout. The conversion was missed which was a lifeline for Port who now only had a one point lead.

Edwards sent over an immediate response from the tee to give Port some breathing space, but from the restart Stockport knocked the ball on in their own 22 and the inevitable followed.

From the resulting scrum, Banks went over in the corner to give Caldy the lead for the first time in the match since the 20 minute mark and then they added another converted try. From a turnover, Roberts crossed in the corner to secure the victory and deny Stockport a losing bonus point.

Stockport are back at Headlands Road next week as they take on Hull. Kick-off is 2.15pm

Click here to listen to Matthew Bebbington’s full post match interview on Stockport’s Official AudioBoom account.

Caldy: Vasey; Eaves, Roberts, Kohler, Royle; Broxson, B Jones; Smithson, Davidson, Cross; Sanders, Smale; Sailsbury, C Jones, Campbell

Replacements: Rushton, Dowridge, Weir, Soutar, Banks

Tries: B Jones, Souter, Weir, Banks, Roberts
Cons: Souter (3)
Pens: Vasey, Souter
Drop Goal: Broxson

Stockport: Fletcher; Cantwell, Platt-Hughes, J Anthony, Tennuci; J Edwards, M Edwards; S Green, Baldwin, Marsland; Eccles, Roddy ; C Anthony, Millea, Fuller (capt).

Replacements: Gill, Graham, K Hibbs, C Hibbs, Street.

Tries: Marsland, Platt-Hughes, S Green
Cons: M Edwards (3)
Pens: M Edwards (3)