The performance certainly leaves an air of frustration around the West camp as had they been able to produce this sort of form in games against lesser option they would surely not be staring relegation to North One East squarely in the face. Stockport were clearly a useful side, playing some good rugby but West showed they could match them, and whilst probably over 80 minutes didn't deserve to win the game, somebody without a copy of the league table would have struggled to guess the size of the gap between the teams.

The two bonus points gained might at least be important in the battle to avoid finishing bottom of the league as that contest hotted up thanks to West Park's bonus point win over Sheffield Tigers.

The scoreline doesn't suggest a try-fest but despite near perfect conditions it definitely wasn't an afternoon for the kickers. A total of 9 tries were scored with only one conversion, that coming in the dying minutes of the game, and not a penalty in sight!

Things had looked ominous for West in the opening stages and right from the off Stockport looked dangerous and West had to battle hard in defence, seemingly hanging on at times. It did, however take until the 16th minute for the first points of the game, flanker Reuben Harvey peeling off a rolling maul to touch down after Steven Stockdale was sin-binned for an infringement inside the 22.

There was a definite feeling of deja vu 10 minutes later when the visitors got their second try, a carbon copy of the first only this time Dave Marwick was the finisher. Having failed to convert a period of pressure earlier in the half West finally got on the board with a try from Jon Boatman 7 minutes from the break. Greg Newton was shown a yellow card after a series of penalties and after a rolling maul went close, Boatman exploited the gap left by the winger and crossed for his 6th try of the season.

The score gave West some reward for their efforts in the opening 40 minutes and crucially kept them in touch after a half in which they had plenty of possession but not many clear scoring opportunities. An obvious half-time message would have been not to concede in the opening minutes of the second half but once again West struggled to get going after the interval. Outside centre Craig Cooper beat Moss to a chip ahead for Stockport's third try only 7 minutes into the half to open up some daylight on the scoreboard.

Moss failed with a penalty attempt on 50 minutes before another Stockport rolling maul saw Harvey replicate his first half effort with another try. The build up to the try saw Jamie Connolly yellow-carded and West looked on the ropes, down 5-20 with 20 minutes to play.

But they came back and a surging run from Darren Thomas set Andy Cheslin away and the winger somehow battled his way up to, and over, the line for a fantastic score to once again lift the team.
Stockport came back on the attack again but when Adam Howard won a penalty inside the 22 the danger looked to be over only for Moss to miss touch with the penalty clearance and the visitors to counter-attack back into West territory, Cooper eventually finishing off the move in the left corner and dealing West a hammer blow. A change of kicker from Matt Bebbington to Steve Pearson brought no chance in result with the conversion once again drifting wide.

With 10 minutes left West began their fightback. First they earned a scrum inside the Stockport 22 and Stu Waites looked to break down the blind-side but his pass inside to Jon Boatman fell to the ground as the number eight had been tripped off the ball. Referee Wayne Falla had no hesitation in issuing his fourth yellow card of the game, this time to flanker Dave Hopkins. Kicking the ball to touch the West maul then literally charged over the line, Paul Rudd touching down for the try.

With new found enthusiasm West surged forward again. Breaking into the 22 the ball was cynically killed by replacement prop Luke Haidenger and referee Falla again had no hesitation in bringing out his yellow card. Once more the ball went to the corner and although the maul was stopped short a few phases later skipper Anth Carr crashed over to give West hope with just a minute left to play.

Despite launching a final attack from deep the comeback couldn't be completed as the ball went loose and Stockport cleared into touch.

So West are left to contemplate again what might have been and again, at least, they proved that they have the quality for this division but if you can't produce a consistent level of performance on a weekly basis, home and away, you can't expect to be challenging for the higher league positions.


West: Thomas, A Cheslin (Butcher), I Wilson, Connolly, Kerr, Moss, Waites, Carr, A Dixon, Stockdale (Robinson), Davies, T Dixon, Howard, D Boatman (Rudd), J Boatman.

Tries: J Boatman, Cheslin, Rudd, Carr
Con: Moss

Sin-bin: Stockdale, Connolly

Stockport: Pearson, Drew, Cooper, Anthony, Newton, Bebbington, Rimmer, Fuller, Hooley, Anderson, Cammuss, Ralph, Hopkins, Harvey, Marwick.
Reps: Haidenger, Wilson, Wellock

Tries: Harvey 2, Marwick, Cooper 2

Sin-bin: Newton, Hopkins, Haidenger

Referee: Wayne Falla [Northern Group]