Stockport 32

Blackburn 20

BLACKBURN started their North One West campaign at Stockport, but came up short as the home side won 32-20.

While Stockport had the majority of the possession, when Burn got the ball they looked dangerous and this showed in the try count with both sides scoring four tries which provided some consolation in the form of a try bonus point.

Stockport took the lead on eight minutes through a penalty and added a further three points on 15 minutes.

However, Burn hit back on 19 minutes with the first try of the game scored by Steve Kent after good work by Harry Pilkington, Tom Evans and Sean Hall.

The usually reliable Leon Fifield missed the conversion which set an unusual tone for Fifield as he was unable to convert any of the Burn tries.

Burn’s penalty count continued to increase and this saw Liam Canning being sent to the sin bin on 24 minutes.

Stockport took advantage as they scored a converted try. But it was Burn who scored the next try on the stroke of half time.

Burn won a scrum against the head 35 metres from the Stockport try line, the ball was fed to Marc Maher who cleverly chipped ahead and Fifield won the foot race to score.

From the start of the second half, Stockport were on top and were camped on the Burn line. The visitors’ defence held out until the ninth minute of the half when the home side dragged them from one side to the other creating gaps enabling them to score.

A further try soon followed for Stockport, Burn were attacking, but the ball was intercepted on the half way line leaving the Stockport man a clear run to the try line.

After this Blackburn got a little more of the ball and a few penalties helped them keep play in the Stockport 22.

On 59 minutes they elected to take a five metre scrum following a penalty. Burn got a bit of a nudge on and then Rob Bramhall took the ball from the back of the scrum and saw a gap that took him to the try line.

A fourth try arrived in the 68th minute to move within five points of their hosts.

The try came following a line out in the Stockport 22, the ball was spread wide where Hall rounded his man to score.

Burn now had the momentum, but they let it slip and a Stockport try and conversion on 75 minutes extinguished any hopes of a comeback