The first home game of the New Year carried on where 2024 left off with another curates egg of a performance from Stockport. After losing with last play of the game to Penrith & Blackburn this one followed suit with Port succumbing to some individual brilliance from Rossendale fly half Lewis Allen who's full house of try, conversion, drop goal and 2 penalties secured 23 points on a day where the Port defence largely kept the Dale backline in check.

The game had started so differently earlier in the day after the home side produced their best spell of rugby of the season. Any form book would have said Dale by 25 points but the Stockport lads tore up the form book with a stellar opening 20 minutes that saw them 3 tries up thanks to a superb performance from the pack who bulldozed their way over the Dale line with 2 tries for loosehead Paul McGookin and one from hooker Sam Grady-Graham.

Fly half Ewan Holt converted one try and then added to the haul with a penalty to put Port into an unexpected 20-0 lead which was a fair reflection on proceedings as Rossendale had barely got out of their own 22 and when they did the Port scrum put them into reverse at a rate of knots.

Ten minutes to half time Rossendale eked their way back in to the game after Port failed to deal with the restart after it looked like receiver Tom Metcalfe was taken out in the air. With no penalty coming Dale launched series of attacks close to the home line that saw inside centre Alex Ropeti find a gap in the Port defence that saw the deficit reduced to 20-7 after the Allen conversion.

Next came the defining moment of the game as Port again laid siege to the Dale line which looked for all the world would produce the bonus point try as the ball was released into the backline only for the pass to find Dale fly half Lewis Allen who streaked the length of the pitch to pull the visitors back into the game 20-14 which was the score as the sides went in to half time.

The second half was an altogether different affair as Rossendale buoyed by their 2 first half tries against the run of play then produced the rugby we all know they are capable of and the writing appeared to be on the wall for Port after Ropeti bagged his second try of the day to put Dale into a 20-21 lead.

It looked likely that Dale might now pull away but the Stockport players were having none of it as they thwarted the league leaders time and again with a brilliant defensive display which left Rossendale to rely on Allens boot to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

With 7 minutes remaining Port regained the lead after a brilliant run down the left wing from substitute second row Lucas Katz who scored in the corner with the Holt conversion falling just short. 28-27.

From the restart Dale took the game to Port and repelled the visitors time and again only for the coolest head in the house Lewis Allen who put Dale into a 2 point lead with a beautifully struck drop goal which was then cemented by a last play of the game penalty which saw the final score 28-33.

So many positives for Port but this was definitely another game that got away. The pack were magnificent all day and the backs can be content they restricted such a frees coring side to 3 tries to deny them their first bonus point try of the season but this was the win we wanted but it wasn't to be.

Man of the match for Port was only ever going to come from the front row after Sammy Grahams perfect throwing performance at the lineout, Paul McGookin also produced a destructive performance in the loose and in the tight but MOM went to Tighthead James Cross who's defence, carrying and scrummaging provided the platform for so much of what was good about the Port performance.