After a disappointing defeat the weekend before, Stockport 3's returned to league action as the only home game at Headlands Road to host Liverpool Medical School, with both teams neck and neck in the league. With skipper Mel McCaughey MBE returning to lead his charges, the team were out nice and early to warm up which meant missing the start of the Scotland v France 6 Nations match. However we soon entered that nervous phase whereby there was no sign of the opposition and a quick call revealed that the visitors thought it was a 3pm kick off (despite them posting 3 hours earlier on their social media that it was a a 2-15pm kick off) and so a quick sprint up to the bar saw us catch the start of the game. The team were to be ably assisted by head cheerleader Daz Shaw who was given a deputy for the day in the shape of young Arthur who's mother had brought him down to the club and was looking for some form of punishment for him, due to an indiscretion earlier in the week? This was music to the ears of Daz who started of with a bit of arithmetic for the young apprentice (he's still trying to work out whern half time will be) and followed this up with some geography (ie go and retrieve the bloody ball)!! What Daz wasn't for sacrificing was his role of running on the kicking tee, as he explained he had been on a specific course and was specially trained for the role.

The game eventually kicked off and Stockport were straight into the ascendancy, launching wave after wave of attack and this soon led to the first score of the game as No.8 Tom Rushton barged his way over from close range with the conversion added by fly half Rhys Warhurst. Despite this optimistic start, the home side struggled to score the points that their dominance deserved with repeated carries by McCaughey as well as front rowers Dave Burr and Charlie Sadler but the attack always ended with an error. With wing Jack Purves hitting everything that moved, the opposition were unable to get into the game and the lead was soon extended as scrum half Sam Unsworth took advantage of gaps in the defence to dart over for an unconverted try and it was now 12-0. Now it was around this point that sub Theo McCumskey stood at the dug out and observed 'specially trained' Daz Shaw trot onto the pitch with the kicking tee, at which he turned around and asked, "so what's this special course he's qualified in then?" By now Liverpool were trying to get into the game, using their youthfulness and superior fitness to outpace the home side however the defence stood firm and the lead was extended when Unsworth repeated the same party trick and was sniping over for his second of the afternoon which pushed the home side into a 17-0 lead. Credit to the visitors, who refused to crumble and with penalties being conceded and the defence in disarray, the visitors managed to crash over for their own unconverted score and that took us into the half time interval with a 17-5 lead.

With no changes made to a winning side, the second half was a more cagey affair with the home side finding themselves frequently on the wrong side of the referee's whistle which in turn provided the Medics with field position however to their credit, Stockport dug in and it was they were who next on the score sheet as prop Charlie Sadler was driven over the line by lock Graham Rushton for an unconverted score. Now I wasn't aware who scored our 4th try so I had to ask the question. I got a response from Rushton who stated (and I quote), "I think it was that Charlie lad, small kid with the tattoos?" I then had to remind Graham that this 'Charlie lad' was the same Charlie who played loose head for 10 years in the same team as Graham's son played tight head!!!! Anyway we were now 22-5 ahead and cruising, with McCumskey on to the wing to replace Sam 'Superman' Cavill whilst veteran Dave Holehouse was on for prop Lucas Worthington. The Medics then decided to throw caution to the wind and run everything from everywhere, with tiring bodies leaving defensive holes and 22-5 had suddenly become a nervy 22-17 with 14 minutes left to play. From a winning position, to a dangerous position and back to a winning position as a perfectly executed line out lead to a perfectly executed backs move, which saw full back Gaz Thomas burst through the Liverpool defence before being stopped agonisingly short however quick ball was recycled back to the only person you want to score less than Dom Waterhouse, the mouth on legs Dave Burr who was still providing a running commentary as he crashed over underneath the posts for a converted try and it was now a more comfortable 29-17.

With everyone now looking to the ref for the final whistle, there was enough time for the restart which was gathered on the full by flanker Chris Dodd. Despite numerous people shouting for him to 'carry', he only heard the voice of McCaughey telling him to exit. With that, Dodd decided to put in a clearing kick targeting the opposition 22 and maybe a 50-22? However what he actually did was slice it off the outside of his boot, almost striking the scoreboard with the ball AND to compound matters he was outside of his own 22 so it was a Medics line out. With one last defensive effort required, Stockport somehow managed to win the ball back and the ball was kicked into touch bringing with it the final whistle and the win.

Now I've no idea who was Player of the Match as that's not my decision to make however I reckon I saw enough of the game to award Dick of the Day. There were a number of people in the running for this including Dodd with his kick to nowhere, skipper McCaughey who was on the receiving end of a yellow card and Lucas Worthington who was apparently unable/unwilling to run touch after being subbed. We also have McCumskey who is still online trying to find out how to get on the same kicking tee course as Daz however for turning up for a 3pm kick off when you have posted on your own social media that its 2-15pm it surely has to go to the organisers of the Liverpool Medics team??