BLACKBURN Rugby Club lost 25-20 away against Stockport.

This was a game which if the visitors had played to anything like their ability, would have won comfortably.

But instead turned in a listless unmotivated first half performance to give the home side a 19-0 lead though an interception try, four penalties and a drop goal.

After a half time roasting from captain Nick Westhead, Blackburn upped the pace and scored two tries through Andy Graham, one a marvellous 80-yard run started from the 22, both converted by Nick Westhead to make it 19-14.

A further Westhead penalty made it 19-17 to narrow the gap even further, but Stockport hit back to make it 22-17.

In the closing 15 minutes Blackburn ran the ball desperately, but with futility and their only reward was another Westhead penalty soon cancelled out by another Rose strike to make the final score 25-20 with Blackburn ruing the absence of key players.

This weekend Blackburn play against Enfield in London, who have won Middlesex 1 and reached the quarter-finals of the Pilkington Shield (kick off 11am).

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.