Leaders Carlisle Rugby Club delivered a message to their North One West rivals they mean business with a 52-7 home win over Stockport.

In this first versus second clash, Carlisle comprehensively outplayed their promotion rivals with a 7-1 try haul.

Despite some last-minute setbacks, the Warwick Road side never looked like losing control of what was a must-win match.

The first try came after eight minutes with player-coach Matt Shields forcing his way to the try-line, with the driving force of Dan Holmes behind him.

Carlisle then increased their lead on the half-hour mark.

A high tackle by the Stockport player stopped the drive, giving Grant Connon the chance to put over a penalty while the visitors were reduced to 14 men.

The extra man was crucial and, from a maul on the halfway line, lock Jack Freshwater tied in the Stockport defence to create a gap for Henry Wainwright to dash through and run all the way to the line for Carlisle’s second converted try.

The visitors pummelled the home defence for the rest of the first period, looking for a way back into the game, but some outstanding defence by the hosts kept them at bay.

Carlisle were on the score-sheet five minutes into the second half after the Carlisle scrum drove the visitors pack back over 10 metres.

When fly-half Connon spotted the visitors defence had been dragged across, leaving Ben Purdham unmarked, a clever cross-field kick gave the winger the opportunity to beat the defenders to the ball for Carlisle’s third try.

The bonus point came just after 50 minutes when, from another advancing Carlisle scrum, Holmes broke and cleverly offloaded to put scrum-half James Telford in the clear for a walk in for the fourth.

Credit to the visitors they kept plugging away, and after flanker Holmes was yellow-carded for a high tackle, Stockport exploited the numbers to eventually break through the Carlisle defence, on the hour mark.

The response from Carlisle was immediate as a penalty touch finder gave them the opportunity from a five metre line-out, which they duly converted from a catch and drive, Wainwright claiming his second try.

The toll on the Stockport front row eventually told, as they had been struggling all day, and the game went to uncontested scrums with just over 12 minutes to go.

Connon had impressed and he spun the ball right for Purdham to put replacement winger Andy Glendinning in for a flying finish.

There was just enough time for Carlisle to add the cherry on the cake through Connon.