Morpeth, the outstanding side in Regional 2 North celebrated the opening of their refurbished clubhouse with a 33-6 win over Aspatria.
But the final score line flattered the home side as it was a win they earned the hard way and Aspatria should take a lot of positives from the game.
Up to this game Morpeth’s first six games were all on the road and they looked invincible, winning all those games with bonus points and racking up an average of 47 points scored in each.
Nothing happened in this game to shake Morpeth’s belief that they are on a pathway to become champions and achieve promotion.
What impressed Aspatria’s travelling supporters and gathered much praise from a large home crowd was how Morpeth were made to work for every inch of ground before they could finally claim to have overcome the Cumbrian’s challenge.
Aspatria’s confident start to the game must have puzzled a Morpeth team who have swept all before them in earlier games.
With only five minutes gone the visitors thought they had taken an early lead when Grant Bethwaite followed up a deft kick from stand-off, Jack Clegg and went over the line. The referee ruled he was offside in a tight call.
Throughout the game both line-outs and set scrums proved to be an even contest between the respective packs. Aspatria might have argued that they had the edge in the scrum but it was from one that Morpeth opened their account.
The home side was back pedalling in the confrontation but Aspatria conceded the penalty and it was this that allowed them to obtain a foothold deep in Aspatria territory.
The Morpeth back line used the ball with supreme efficiency to drag the Aspatria defence across the pitch and find a gap in the opposite corner to score the opening try.
On 22 minutes Morpeth increased the lead with a rare attack, demonstrating how lethal they could be when a scoring opportunity came along. Between the first and this second try, Aspatria forced Morpeth back into their own half and achieved the greater share of possession. In the face of a resolute defence they had nothing to show for it.
When Morpeth finally broke out it was a text book example of how to make the most of your opportunities.
Despite the set-back, Aspatria continued to press. It was a good passage of play for Aspatria with Morpeth forced into conceding more penalties than they would be comfortable with.
Again the home defence held up well and Aspatria had to settle for a Jack Clegg penalty to get them on the scoreboard.
On 35 minutes Morpeth struck for a third try. This was one to be admired, a move straight from the training ground.
A line-out in the 22 was perfectly executed and the ball recycled to forwards peeling around the tail in position to attack, handing the ball runner pass options left and right. It was a good score.
With half time looming another Clegg penalty brought the score back to 19-6.
On another day the first half performance from Aspatria may well have had them going into the second period more or less on level terms with their opponents but this game is all about taking your chances and in that department Morpeth held the upper hand.
The second half took on a different look to the first. Aspatria had some good phases but the more the game progressed the more they sank back into their own half.
The rugby was excellent but some of the best moves generated were coming from deep within Aspatria territory giving Morpeth time and space to snuff out any threat.
On 56 minutes Morpeth dashed hopes of Aspatria getting any reward from the game.
The score followed a penalty to the corner, a line-out and the home forwards rolling to the try line. It delivered a try bonus point to retain Morpeth’s perfect start to the season.
At 26-6 it looked a fair reflection of the game but as the contest moved deep into the final quarter Aspatria once more showed they had the quality and resolve to trouble the home side.
On the back of penalties conceded by Morpeth, attacking situations were gained around the 22 but again there was no reward in the face of a well organised defence.
With more or less the final phase of the game Morpeth scored a 5th try, the best of the day. It was a flowing move that demonstrated in full what they are capable of given the time and space.
