Played mostly with a strong wind blowing straight down the pitch this game was a remarkable example of two teams responding to the conditions and playing to their strengths. The wind favoured the team playing with the wind in the 1st and 3rd quarters, allowing Park to get 15-0 ahead before Stockport responded with a try just before the break and then went ahead with a try and two penalties in the 3rd quarter. But the stand out feature of this match was the last 10 minutes, Birkenhead Park, 20-15 down and playing against the wind, started on their own 22 and for 10 minutes played some 50 phases to take play to the Stockport line. During this series Stockport defended powerfully and never conceded a penalty, even when the play was on their own line. This extraordinary period of play came to and end when a dead maul resulted in the referee awarding a scrum to Birkenhead Park for the last play of the game, Stockport defended the scrum but the drive that followed got Park over in the corner for an unconverted try, which resulted in a 20-20 draw.

With such a strong wind against them it was no wonder that Stockport were under pressure in the early stages, and from a scrum Park eventually got the ball out to their left wing, who squeezed in at the corner. the conversion was always unlikely in the wind but the visitors were ahead 0-5. More Park pressure was relived when a turnover allowed Stockport centre Matt Blackman to run into the Birkenhead half but he was caught on the 22. The visitors took advantage of the wind to return play to the Stockport half and despite a good defensive set by Stockport on 22 minutes the left wing claimed his second try after sustained pressure by Park, this time the conversion was on target and Park were ahead 0-12. More pressure gave Birkenhead a penalty in front of the posts and this gave them a 0-15 lead on 30 minutes. Stockport responded really positively and after many well controlled phases of pick and drive a try opportunity was lost with a knock on but Stockport turned over the Park scrum and a good drive allowed No 8 Ryan Hanson to run in under the posts and score, Harry Rapley converted to make it 7-15 at the break.

Now playing with the wind Stockport put on early pressure, a good run by Hanson and a penalty at the subsequent ruck gave Tom Eaton the chance for a tap and Simon Green ran through a bewildered Park defence to score an easy try, Rapley converted to take Stockport close at 14-15. With the wind behind them Stockport kept up the pressure and more good control and patience resulted in two more penalties, which Rapley converted to take the home side 20-15 ahead with 10 minutes to go. The wind had weakened and a Tom Eaton kick was prevented from reaching touch in the Park 22 and this was the start of that incredible sequence of play, resulting in the last gasp try by Birkenhead Park to secure the draw 20-20.

There is no game next week so the next match is away at League leaders Burnage on 29 February.