DMPRFC 27 v STOCKPORT RFC 37

Supporters were left dazed at the series of hapless missed tackles by the home defence that allowed Stockport RFC to win the game, take maximum points and see them currently occupy top spot in the league.

It may been that Stockport were the better team, some people might see it that way, however a woeful tackling display when Park were in the ascendancy at 27 – 20 put a wholly different slant on a game that was crying out for it to be taken by the scruff of the neck.

Stockport, like Rochdale and Rossendale possessed the larger individual in the forward pack, but with Park being used to dealing with that type of size differential, they absorbed the relentless pick and drives and countered that with an initial demolition job of the away scrum.

Things were all square at oranges, with a converted try apiece, in addition to a penalty each by Ben Snook and his opposite number. Park’s try came from a touchdown by the ever-willing scrum half Ryan Painter, converted by Snook.

After the interval, the influential Dean Kelbrick was lost to a hamstring injury, which certainly disrupted the Park back line. John Newton dropped in at fly half, pushing Ben Snook into a centre birth.

Matt Goforth grabbed a try, when he skinned the covering Stockport defence and Snook added the conversion.

Stockport replied in kind before Park looked to be ones to run off with the spoils, when after 63 minutes, Snook crossed the whitewash and converted his own try.

Unforced errors began to creep within the home side, the long kicking game disappeared and the dominant scrum was sidelined. Tackles were then in short supply from Park, as Stockport ran in two unanswered converted tries to seal the game.

Park have a lot to learn from this defeat, which quite easily could have been the win they needed to establish some stability and foundation.