Arguably Aspatria put up their best performance of the season in beating Keswick 26-12, but it needed to be to see off determined and well organised opposition.
The final score line may look comfortable but Keswick battled all the way and it took two individual pieces of late brilliance from Aspatria’s scrum half Mark Watson to break the deadlock.
Keswick started strongly, within the first minute a sustained attack earned a penalty in front of the sticks which would usually be bread and butter for Kieran Mewse but he was off target and Aspatria escaped without damage.
Much of the first half was played out in midfield as the teams battled for supremacy and there were some bone shuddering collisions to keep a large crowd entertained, in near perfect match conditions.
Very little action took place in either 22 but nevertheless it was enthralling rugby. So no surprise that all the first half’s scoring resulted from penalty kicks.
Keswick obtained a generous share of possession during the first 40 minutes but consistently fell foul of the referee and it was this indiscipline that handed Aspatria’s Matty Irving a first attempt at goal to put the visitors ahead.
After 15 minutes the referee lost patience with Keswick’s constant infringement and sinbinned ‘one for team’ but the penalties kept coming and on 24 minutes Irving made it 6-0.
.losing in on halftime a third goal attempt from Irving from the halfway line increased the advantage to 9-0.
With the last play of the half a well struck penalty from Mewse reduced the deficit and despite neither try line having been under serious threat this had been 40 minutes of quality rugby leaving both teams with a claim on the end result.
The half time talk from Keswick coach Garry Holmes seemed to have a desired effect as the home side Keswick started the second period in control with solid forward drives led by Jamie Mackenzie and Aaron Thompson.
But when they did reduce the arrears with another penalty by Mewse it was immediately cancelled out by Aspatria from the re-start. A third Mewse penalty helped the Keswick cause to keep it interesting but once more they conceded penalties at the ruck and after repeated warnings from the referee were reduced to 14 again when a yellow card was awarded.
It was at this point, into the last quarter of an hour, that Aspatria turned the screw and only solid defence from Keswick kept them at bay.
The dam burst with 12 minutes remaining as the Mark Watson Show was about to begin.
Watson had joined the fray from the bench and made an immediate impact. A Keswick scrum on the home five metre line was blown apart by Aspatria. The ball squirted out to a narrow blind side and Watson was the first to react to pick-up and dive over. Irving’s touchline conversion provided clear water at 19-9.
Keswick were not yet done, they skilfully regained the ball at the restart and set about Aspatria. A kickable penalty was awarded leading to a debate amongst the Keswick players whether to take an easy three points or chase a try. To kick was the decision and Mewse delivered three points, a positive result but it still felt like a let off for Aspatria and so it proved.
Aspatria struck the killer blow in the 74th minute. The Black Reds had possession just inside the Keswick half where a ruck had developed. Watson had hands on the ball and looking up saw an absence of fringe defenders. He needed no further invitation and darted through the gap on his way to the posts.
This was no easy walk in. Watson had to navigate several attempted tackles and by the time he reached the posts at least three home defenders were closing in but it was too late to prevent him from sealing victory for Aspatria.
Overall it was a disappointment for Keswick who had hoped to continue recent winning form in front of a sizeable crowd but weather permitting are back at home on Saturday against Consett.
