Battling a determined Stockport side, Rossendale left it late to snatch the win in what was an absolute cracker of a game.

First Half: Stockport Dominate Early On

It was a nightmare start for Rossendale, as Stockport’s forwards stamped their authority early. Within four minutes, a penalty on the 22 gave Stockport the platform they needed. A line-out led to a powerful maul, with Sam Grady-Graham crashing over out wide. Fortunately for Rossendale, the conversion attempt failed, leaving the score at Stockport 5, Rossendale 0.

By the 17th minute, Stockport’s pack struck again. Another driving maul from a close-range line-out sent Rossendale backwards, and Grady-Graham was on hand to score his second try. This time, fly-half Ewan Holt slotted the conversion to extend the lead to Stockport 12, Rossendale 0.

Things went from bad to worse just three minutes later. Stockport were relentless in the forwards, and Grady-Graham completed his hat-trick after yet another dominant line-out drive. The conversion was missed, but the scoreboard read a worrying Stockport 17, Rossendale 0.

Rossendale’s woes continued when Holt added a penalty after a Rossendale infringement, taking Stockport’s lead 20-0 after 25 minutes. At this point, Rossendale looked fragile and out of sorts.

Fightback Begins

It took 28 minutes, but Rossendale finally woke up. A scrum inside Stockport territory provided clean ball, and Alex Ropeti charged through the defence on a diagonal run to score midway between the posts and the corner flag. Lewis Allen nailed the conversion to get Rossendale on the board at Stockport 20, Rossendale 7.

Rossendale struck again just before half-time. Stockport, pressing inside Rossendale’s 22, looked certain to score, but a telegraphed pass was intercepted by Allen, who sprinted almost the length of the pitch to score under the posts. The fly-half converted his own try, bringing Rossendale right back into the game at Stockport 20, Rossendale 14 at the break.

Second Half: Rossendale Take Control

The second half began with Rossendale playing with renewed vigour. Ten minutes in, sustained pressure inside Stockport’s 22 saw the ball fed to Ropeti once more. The centre cut through the defence to score easily under the posts. Allen’s conversion put Rossendale ahead for the first time in the match at Stockport 20 Rossendale 21.

Stockport, however, were quick to respond. A high tackle by Rossendale handed Holt a penalty just outside the 22, which he converted to regain the lead for the hosts at Stockport 23, Rossendale 21.

Rossendale didn’t panic. On the hour mark, Allen stepped up to slot a penalty from Stockport’s 22, putting his side back in front at Stockport 23 Rossendale 24. Ten minutes later, another penalty right in front of the posts extended Rossendale’s lead to 23-27, with Allen as reliable as ever.

Late Drama Seals the Game

But Stockport weren’t finished yet. Straight from the restart, a Rossendale handling error gifted Stockport possession. They spun the ball wide and raced down the touchline to score in the corner. With the conversion missed, Stockport held a slender 28-27 lead, and Rossendale found themselves chasing the game with just five minutes left.

In a moment of magic, Allen stepped up once again. From a penalty line-out, the ball was recycled into midfield, where the fly-half calmly slotted a stunning drop goal from the 22 to swing the game back in Rossendale’s favour at Stockport 28 Rossendale 30.

There was still time for more drama. With the final kick of the game, Allen capped off a brilliant individual performance by nailing a penalty from out wide to seal the win for Rossendale at 28-33.

Summary

This was not a perfect performance from Rossendale, who struggled against Stockport’s powerful forwards early on. But credit to the visitors—they showed immense character to fight back and grind out a hard-earned victory.

Lewis Allen was undoubtedly the star of the show, contributing 23 points with his boot and a crucial intercept try. While Rossendale missed out on a bonus point, this win keeps their momentum alive and demonstrates their resilience.

By Sophie Mackintosh