For the second successive game, Aspatria took a lead into the final ten minutes only to let the advantage disappear.
Their 27-26 defeat at West Hartlepool was softened by the two bonus points earned but this was scant consolation for the Black Reds who just could not come to terms with a resilient home side in Durham/Northumberland One.
Wests undeniably deserved this win, particularly for the grit shown late in the game when it looked more than likely that Aspatria were on the road to victory.
A positive start from Wests could and should have been snuffed out but the Black Reds seemed unable to take opportunities to clear their line. The price for this was paid on eight minutes when possession was lost around the 22 and the ball found the home fly-half who chipped over the defence and won the foot race to tap down.
The score spurred Aspatria into action. A first, sustained attack stretched the home defence across the width of the pitch and when full-back Joe Beaty joined in he found the gap down the left flank to go in at the corner.
Aspatria failed to build on what seemed an advantage in the back division and the game moved into the second quarter with neither team dominating.
On 21 minutes a speculative kick out of defence by Aspatria was rewarded by a gain in territory. Two penalties followed and from the second Aspatria launched a catch and drive line-out. Matthew Atkinson came onto the ball at speed and his bulk ensured the try and a 12-5 lead.
Shortly after the score, Wests were down a man, yellow carded for impeding a quick tap penalty. Aspatria had the immediate momentum but efforts to capitalise proved futile.
After 30 minutes Wests came back into contention with a second try as their forwards mauled the ball over the line.
Aspatria with a slender two-point lead started the half brightly and the early exchanges were all deep in Wests territory. Atkinson came close to a score when he charged down an attempted clearance kick.
On 48 minutes the break-through score came from a five-metre scrum. Atkinson’s charge from the base was halted inches from the line but Heinie Jonker was on the spot to get hands on the ball and force his way over.
Based on the first ten minutes of the half there seemed little barrier to Aspatria going on to win the contest but the self-destruct button was pushed on 55 minutes when a scrummage inside the Aspatria half went badly wrong.
Possession was handed to Wests who found no one at home down the right flank and scored.
Aspatria went back into its shell and just could not execute moves that on another day would be done in their sleep. On 63 minutes Wests regained the lead with a penalty.
Trailing 20-19 Aspatria once more used the adversity to snap back into a winning mentality. A press on the West try line yielded several penalties which Aspatria declined to use in regaining the lead.
The effort for a fourth try went on and resulted in the home team having to drop out from the goal line. It was a sorry effort. Phil Dixon took the ball back to the try line and Atkinson took over to score.
Into the final 10 minutes and holding a six-point lead it should have been Aspatria’s day but they looked far from comfortable in the face of a late home onslaught.
They gifted up territory and in the 73rd minute, a penalty provided Wests with the opportunity to attack Aspatria from a line-out. The attack paid off and a good conversion put Wests back in charge at 27-26.
In a final flurry and with only seconds on the clock, Aspatria had a late opportunity to have the final say in the game.
A penalty on halfway should have been used to position Aspatria in the home 22 but they took the wrong option and decided to run the ball. The move was stopped at an early stage and the whistle blew for time.
