Aspatria scored a fine 22-10 win at Hartlepool Rovers to maintain their hopes of a top four finish in Durham Northumberland One.
Although the pitch was dry a very strong wind, blowing from side to side, would ultimately dictate the game and its quality.
The first half was a pretty dire and attrition affair which saw both sides guilty of forced mistakes and poor discipline.
Aspatria shaded the first 20 minutes, often driven by a dominant scrum performance, not for the first time this year.
It was after several failed attacks and while Rovers were down to 14 men that the Black Reds would score their only try of the half as scrum half Jack Clegg sniped over out wide after taking a quick tap penalty.
The second 20 minutes of the first half saw Rovers and their workmanlike ack increase the pressure on the Black Reds.
Discipline and ball retention was proving a worry for Aspatria and it was accelerated on 32 minutes when Jack Clegg became the casualty of a yellow card following an accumulation of team offences.
Although initially holding out, Rovers eventually capitalised on this advantage and scored out wide on 38 minutes.
The half finished 5-5 with possibly Rovers the happier of the two sides.
Coaches Mike Scott and Graham Andrews had some frank discussions in the Aspatria huddle at half-time with the emphasis on ball retention and picking up the pace of the game.
The next 20 minutes saw a marked improvement from the away side with some rugby breaking out. After working their way down field, another dominant scrum saw the ball moved down the backline via several offloads to find Ross Barton who raced in from 30 meters.
Finally, now getting in to their stride, Aspatria were looking far better with ball in hand and were immediately on the attack again. What would result in their best try of the day saw the ball moved from touchline to touchline several times until eventually finding fullback Joe Beaty 20 metres out. He cut inside the drift defence to race over the line and under the sticks for a converted try.
The last try of the day for the away side again came from a sustained period of pressure. After several penalties were conceded by the home side, Clegg again went quick and found back rower Jamie Lightfoot on his shoulder to crash over for an unconverted score and the bonus point.
For the last 15 minutes, veteran Andrews joined the fray along with Jack Wilson for his second appearance on the wing with Alex Barton taking over at scrum half.
Rovers, however, were not quite ready to give it up and forced the pace for the next ten minutes. Unfortunately for Aspatria, the game would go to uncontested scrums which took away a dominant facet of their game.
Rovers added a second try on 70 minutes following pressure and the next eight minutes were spent camped on the Black Reds line.
Only stern defence kept them out and the away side were delighted when several penalties against the home side would see the pressure relieved.
The last two minutes saw the visitors apply the pressure again and see out the game for an appreciated five-point win.
