Aspatria completed a Regional 2 North double over Carlisle when they won 45-31 at Warwick Road.
Although not mathematically safe, Aspatria have sufficient lead over fellow Cumbrians Keswick and Carlisle to suggest they won’t be dragged into a relegation fight over the last six games.
For Carlisle their position at the bottom, without a win, is very precarious although the encouraging thing from the derby was a second successive game with a four-try bonus point.
Indeed recent results indicate that under the leadership of coach George Graham they are an improving side.
The renaissance appears to have come too late to save the city side from relegation but they do have several fixtures remaining against sides in the bottom half of the table and can still do damage to the hopes of others.
Carlisle started well enough and after winning a scrum inside the Aspatria half with only a few minutes on the clock, a clumsy tackle gifted Jason Israel the opportunity to put three points on the board from 35 metres.
Home advantage only lasted a handful of minutes when, not for the last time in the game, the Aspatria back division tore Carlisle apart.
It was classic movement by Aspatria’s flyers who first attacked down the left flank and then with pace and precision moved the ball the full width of the field for winger Owen Hoyles to go in at the right corner flag. Jack Clegg converted from the touch line.
The try was the start of a dominant period for Aspatria.
Two penalties put Aspatria in catch and drive range and they executed this to perfection with back row Jamie Lightfoot going over for the score.
On 20 minutes Clegg, operating at scrum half, had ball in hand and in Carlisle territory realised that the home side were not defending the right side of the field.
He dropped a perfectly weighted kick in the vacant space and winger Grant Bethwaite had the simple task of picking-up the ball in his stride to dot down for a 17-3 advantage.
A few months ago Carlisle might have crumbled, but they gathered themselves, won a penalty inside the Aspatria half, which gave them the opportunity for a line-out deep in their territory.
Having been stymied before by Aspatria not engaging at the line-out, the home side had worked out how to overcome this, and driving forward with Alfie Batty and Josh Holmes to the fore, hooker Tom Graham got hands on the ball as the pack bullied their way across the whitewash.
A slight disagreement then ensued earning a player from both sides a spell in the bin to cool off.
For the next 10 minutes neither side could exert much dominance over the other with a bit of kick tennis ensuing to nobody’s benefit.
Then on 35 minutes some loose ball handling by the visitors further compounded by an infringement whilst trying to recover the ball, gave Carlisle a five metre line-out down the left.
With Carlisle securing the ball a number of pick and goes sucked in the visitors to defending narrowly, until the ball was swung wide right for Batty to crash through a couple of defenders for Carlisle’s second try. With Israel easily converting it was 17-17 with just a couple of minutes to half time.
It looked like the game would restart the second half with honours even. To Carlisle’s dismay they turned the ball over to Aspatria in midfield, allowing the visiting backs to once again get into their stride.
Centre Ryan Scott achieved the initial yardage before the ball was released to Hoyles who cut through the home defensive line and raced deep into the 22 where he unselfishly unloaded for centre Joe Beaty to cross and end the half with Aspatria 17-24 to the good.
Within a couple of minutes of the restart Aspatria extended their advantage.
An excellent effort by the visiting pack close in on the Carlisle line resulted in Dan Penman going over for a score.
Carlisle gradually worked their way back into the game, aided by the visitors increasing penalty count, and their third try came as a result of a 5m lineout down the right.
With the forwards battering away at the line, scrumhalf Lung spread the ball wide for Israel to suck in a lot of the remaining defenders as he headed for the posts. With a ruck just short of the line, it was Matt Marston who picked up from the back and dived over the bodies for the points to make it 31-24.
Each time Carlisle seemed to have hope of a first win of the season it was snatched away from them.
On 53 minutes the visitors ended a superb break from around half way with Scott outpacing the home defence to go over in the right corner to restore the lead to 14 points.
The game went a bit flat after that, though Carlisle had a chance from a scrum on the five metre line but coughed up a penalty to allow Aspatria to clear their lines.
Carlisle finally did get the fourth try they deserved as another infringement by the visitors gave Carlisle another line out opportunity down the right.
The first was illegally defended by the visitors and the second to the back gave Josh Holmes the chance to run at the defence. With Aspatria again infringing at the breakdown the referee had no choice but to send Adam Cavanagh to the bin.
The third attempt finally paid off, as Lung swiftly moved the ball left to Israel who put centre Ellis Little in for the bonus point to reduce the score to seven points again.
This stirred Aspatria again as they responded with the last and best try of the game.
This was a sweeping move starting around half way that involved some slick inter passing before Hoyle’s pace outwitted Carlisle and got him in position to hand the ball over to Lightfoot who brushed aside some ineffective tackle attempts to dot down under the posts and seal victory for Aspatria.