Harrogate vs Stockport

Tim Heaton was rested for this match but he was obviously still making his influence felt from the stand when Harrogate gave away 2 early penalties.

Stockport went for touch from the second penalty but Chris Wilson stole their line-out ball, Harrogate applied attacking pressure and Callum Irvine split the defence for a try converted by Joe Rowntree. Harrogate set up a driving maul from the restart and Noel Minikin burst over for the second try after 6 minutes. Inspirational power play from Jake Brady & Tom Harvey kept up the pressure and when the ball was released, constructive back play ended with a converted try from Luke Edwards. The dynamic pack kept Stockport on the back foot and the next converted try came from a scything burst from Nico Nyemba. This gave Harrogate their bonus point after 17 minutes and, in another statistical oddity, the first scrum of the game happened after 20 minutes’ play.

A relatively even period followed until Sam Bottomley initiated a Harrogate counter attack from deep. The move was skilfully carried on and Noel MInikin crashed through for his second converted try. No8, Willem Enslin was proving to be a handful in the loose, keeping Stockport on the back foot and a desperate clearance was picked up by James Audsley-Beck who darted over from 30 metres for yet another converted try.

An early Joe Lowes tackle stopped Stockport progressing from a quickly taken penalty and he was duly sin binned. A Stockport drive from an attacking line-out resulted in a try from Hooker, Paul Millea converted by Josh Longmore. The First Half ended with more Harrogate pressure and a brilliant Irvine cross kick was carried over in the corner by Audsley-Beck. Rowntree’s touchline conversion made it 47-7 at half time.

Stockport never gave up and competed throughout the match but the 1st half opened with Audsley-Beck’s scintillating hat trick try from a missed clearance. Successive Yellow Cards followed for Harrogate’s Nathan Smith and Andy Boyde. Stockport took full advantage for Andy Fuller to score from a driving maul.

Boyde was replaced by Jimmy Browne, Harrogate’s former captain who’d temporarily come out of retirement. He soon made his presence felt with solid scrummaging and some telling tackles in the loose. Quickly recycled turnover ball led to a pinpoint Irvine chip which Lewis Minikin gathered to score the game’s final try, converted by Irvine.

Harrogate: Rowntree, Bottomley, L Minikin, Edwards, Audsley-Beck, Irvine, Matthews, Boyde, Nyemba, Reaveley, Brady, Harvey, Wilson, N Minikin, Enslin. Replacements (all used) Yorke, Browne, Smith, Lowes, Aspinall.

Stockport: J Edwards, Cantwell, Fletcher, S Green, Marsland, Longmore, M Edwards, Fuller, Millea, Anthony, Roddy, Hopkins, A Green, Baldwin, Eccles. Replacements (all used) Mitchell, Nicolson, Graham, Hibbs, Bebbington

Referee: Matt Hurvey (Northern)

Match report by Bill Barrack
Photos by David Aspinall