The warning signs came early for Aspatria as they went down 27-17 to Upper Eden at Bower Park in Regional 2 North.
The visitors had not been overawed by Aspatria’s unbeaten home record and the intensity of their play and determination not to yield an inch was on display from minute one.
Ultimately it served up a deserved victory after they had their hosts on the back foot in the early exchanges.
They blew an early opportunity to score when a line out from five metres was botched and they let Aspatria away, unscathed. They would not be so wasteful again.
It was perhaps over enthusiasm that cost Upper Eden an early lead as the penalty count went heavily against them. Aspatria’s Matty Irving used one of these transgressions to secure a 3-0 lead in the 15th minute.
Even so home supporters were already beginning to be concerned by the lack of penetration being achieved by home runners in both the backs and forwards.
Upper Eden quickly regained control. Recovering the ball from the re-start they first tested Aspatria’s defence through the middle and falling off tackles caused more anxiety amongst home supporters.
Upper Eden had little difficulty in switching play to the left flank where back row Fin Rose had clear ground to dart in. A touchline conversion from Ollie Rose provided a 7-3 advantage.
Aspatria did respond to the setback and ball possession overall was fairly even but indifferent handling ruled out any threat of a retaliatory home score.
The visitors were far more clinical when they had the ball and it was no real surprise when on 26 minutes they extended the lead.
A slick backs move left the Aspatria defence static and winger Josh Alderson found the final gap at the corner flag. Rose again popped over the conversion from tight on the touchline.
Throughout the game Upper Eden coped with the powerful Aspatria scrummage as well as any team has this season. This said they were still always going backwards.
This looked ominous on 30 minutes when Aspatria were awarded a five metre scrum. The Upper Eden scrum moved back rapidly towards the line but on the Aspatria side there was confusion at the base.
Aspatria felt it was clear infringement by the opposition but the referee saw it differently and awarded Upper Eden the penalty.
To add to home woes Upper Eden moved downfield and used a Rose penalty to end the half 17-3 to the good.
What was said in the Aspatria half-time huddle is unrepeatable but it had the desired effect.
Aspatria stormed out of the blocks at last not only matching the intensity on show by Upper Eden but
overwhelming it.
With only three minutes of the half played, prop Jack Gaskell took a quick tap penalty around 10 metres out and stormed over the line for a converted try.
A few minutes later Aspatria were level. A ripper of a back division move was just too good for the Upper Eden defence and right winger Ross Barton was in for the score.
The mood at Bower Park had been turned on its head and the immediate opinion was that Aspatria would now go on to control the game and take the spoils.
Aspatria did not grasp the opportunity and the reason for this had a lot to do with the resolve shown by Upper Eden who refused to buckle.
The game again reverted to an even contest, although it did look that, if one team was to break the deadlock it would be Aspatria.
This all changed on 64 minutes when Upper Eden launched a sustained passing move just inside the Aspatria half. It was good rugby from the visitors but Aspatria had several opportunities to end the threat.
A series of attempted tackles proved ineffective and when the ball came to Fin Rose he still had time to cross the line near the corner flag and then run to the posts to dot down for his second of the day. It was a performance that earned him Aspatria’s man of the match award.
From this point, seven points in arrears, it never looked likely that Aspatria would be able to mount a match winning counter challenge.
As the game moved into the final few minutes it was Upper Eden who finished the stronger. The visitors came very close to achieving a bonus point try but Aspatria still retained the fight to keep them out.
With what would be the final play of the game Upper Eden had a decision to make. They had a penalty more or less in front of the sticks. An easy three points but meaningless in the context of the game. With Aspatria on the ropes should they have chased the extra point?
The answer to this will not be known until the end of the season when the result of Upper Eden’s relegation battle is known.
They remain in the second relegation spot but are now within striking distance of the teams above. More importantly, they are showing the quality of fight required to survive.
Keswick look most in danger of the Eden revival but with several games coming up and pitting together sides at the lower end of the table it would be no surprise if both these Cumbrian clubs escape the drop.
