Aspatria’s five game winning streak hit the buffers away at Consett where they went down 30-23.
After the dust settled the only point Aspatria players and supporters agreed upon, in the immediate post-game analysis, was in blaming the defeat on a performance well below expectation.
That conclusion is correct but it would be disrespectful to suggest that Consett had not played a decisive role in undermining Aspatria.
The home side harried Aspatria at every turn with some well-orchestrated and aggressive defensive tactics which added to a willingness to be positive when in possession.
The wrap-up analysis must acknowledge that the home side were good value for the win.
Within the first 10 minutes of the game, the teams exchanged penalties to establish a 3-3 scoreline. In these early exchanges, it was Aspatria who looked the most likely to open the try scoring.
Several penalties conceded by Consett handed Aspatria positions deep in the home 22. Having earned these advantageous locations Aspatria should really have converted one or more into points but the disruption engineered by Consett ended each and every effort.
Against the run of play Consett scored the first try on 20 minutes. It began with Aspatria in yet another good field position and losing possession.
With one sweeping move Consett were able to shift the ball up-field and register the score to lead 10-3.
From the restart Aspatria were able to secure the ball and yet again use a penalty to put them within striking distance of the try line.
The pattern was the same with Consett creating enough chaos at the line-out for the move to go wrong. This time fortune smiled on Aspatria as the ball found its way to second row Chris Graham.
For the first and only time in the game the Consett defenders left him a wide gap to charge through and score an unconverted try.
Aspatria were back in the mix at 10-8 but the rest of the first half belonged to Consett. That is until the final play.
On 27 minutes the home side extended the lead when they took full advantage of Aspatria’s inability to control possession and further compounded this error with some very loose tackling allowing the home side a free run at the line, to establish an 11 point gap.
Consett were now on a high and five minutes later they scored a third try.
A sweeping move across the width of the pitch caught Aspatria’s defence out of position. In a desperate effort to avert the score Kai Gilhespy was yellow carded and a penalty try took the home lead out to 24-8 as half-time approached.
Consett looked well placed to take a significant lead into the second half but were let down by a poor clearing kick out of defence that found Grant Bethwaite on the left wing.
Bethwaite set off on a superb run taking him close to the line. There was no score but a penalty awarded was quickly tapped, allowing centre Ryan Scott to go over in the corner to end the half 24-13.
Into the second half, Aspatria’s overall performance standards began to lift but not to the extent that was making any impact on the scoreboard.
With the game on the cusp of the final quarter, Consett used a penalty to extend their lead to 27-13 and it was beginning to look like game over for Aspatria.
With 10 minutes remaining Aspatria were still able to mount most of the attacking rugby. This was rewarded with a sweet back division move that provided space for Gilhespy to find room on the right touchline and leave defenders in his wake.
This score brought the score back to 27-20 and for the first time since the early part of the game the thought emerged that a win might still be on the agenda.
The hope did not last as Consett wisely used a penalty to create an eight point gap with only a couple of minutes remaining.
To Aspatria’s credit they were not yet done as bonus points were chased. With the last play of the game Aspatria thought they not only had a losing bonus point but also a second one for a fourth try, courtesy of Matthew Atkinson.
The big number eight’s force of will crashed through defenders and close to the line his arm snaked out. For an instant the ball appeared to be down on the line but was quickly knocked away by a defender and the referee could not be sure.
Aspatria still had the consolation of possession and again attacked the line but the only reward was a penalty which added the three points and the consolation of taking home a losing bonus point.
