ROCHDALE were well beaten by a young, fit and mobile Stockport side at Bamford on Saturday.

The hosts had their hands full from the opening stages as the visitors quickly opened up a 12-point lead with two well-taken tries.

Both scores came from Rochdale errors, the first when they lost the ball in the tackle, the second when they missed a tackle.

Stockport are far too alert to miss opportunities like those, and with the home defence failing to get its alignment right the visitors had little problem breaching the defensive line.

The well drilled Stockport side quickly snuffed out a series of Rochdale attacks by reorganising their defensive line.

Even when Rochdale camped on the Stockport line they couldn’t break down a resolute defence.

The hosts offered some aggressive defence and put in some powerful tackles.

But Stockport claimed a further try and a penalty to go in at the break leading 22-0.

Rochdale tightened their game in the second half, and it looked as though a fightback could be on the cards.

But hopes were soon dashed when, once again, the defence failed to realign quickly enough and Stockport swung the ball out wide to score in the corner.

Rochdale battled on and Tom Helliwell crashed over for a try, but it was all too late.

Stockport took their foot off the gas in the later stages and their pace slowed, but try as they might Rochdale couldn’t make any real impact on the visitors’ defence.

ROCHDALE Junior Colts were desperately unlucky to suffer a 6-5 defeat at the hands of neighbours Oldham whose winning penalty came with the last kick of the match.

Heavy conditions underfoot suited Oldham who channelled most of their play through a big heavy pack, but Rochdale’s forwards met their challenge head on, with Andy Donoghue and Joe Webb again prominent.

Dom Collison competed well in the lineouts, and Johnny Bradley, playing out of position at flanker, was also in good form.

A moment of magic from winger Patrick Fenlon provided the game’s only try.

Picking up the ball from an Oldham kick, yards from the touchline, he beat three defenders with no space to work in and raced in at the corner.

It looked to be enough to win the match until that last-minute heartbreaker.