Keswick went down 34-30 at home to Morpeth after a spirited late effort just failed to deliver for the Lakes side in this key Regional 2 North fixture.
Penalties and yellow cards were Keswick’s downfall as the uncertainties around relegation and promotion in the League structure going into the final two games of the season make a further win important.
It now looks a shoot-out between Keswick and Stockton as to which one fills the second relegation position, although there has been a suggestion that only the bottom side (Cockermouth) will go down.
Keswick have Consett away and West Hartlepool at home and go into them three points better off than Stockton who still have to play Middlesbrough and Morpeth, both at home.
On Saturday Morpeth showed their intentions straight from the kick off and pressured the Keswick line forcing the first of many penalties conceded by Keswick and duly converting it to take a three point lead within five minutes.
The pitch, sodden with the previous couple of days heavy rain, did not suit Keswick in any area of the game with the scrummage particularly suffering to gain purchase.
Penalties, and the first of three yellow cards for Keswick put the home team under pressure and Morpeth took full advantage to kick to the corner, secure the line-out and duly score under the posts for a 10-0 lead.
This fired Keswick into action and a well struck penalty from Kieran Mewse put them on the scoreboard.
Then a kick and chase deep into the Morpeth 22 saw Danny Price make a great tackle, forcing the defender to touch down over the line.
The resulting scrum saw Keswick dominance with Steve Moss touching down and Mewse converted from wide out to level the scores.
Unfortunately more indiscretions by Keswick let Morpeth back in and a forward drive from a penalty yielded an unconverted for a 15-10 interval lead to the visitors.
Keswick started the second-half well with a Mewse penalty closing the deficit to two points and shortly afterwards another excellent long range penalty from Mewse gave Keswick a one point lead.
This was desperately short-lived as Morpeth struck back with try under the posts that the Keswick faithful were sure was from a knock on and forward pass that unsighted the referee. But Morpeth now led 22-16.
Soon it changed again. Great back play by Mewse and Dan Craghill put Keswick into an excellent field position for the forwards to go over from a driving maul with Aaron Thompson coming up with the ball. Mewse converted for a one-point lead.
Keswick continued to press and forward domination in the loose saw another strong driving maul to reach the line with Henry Etisoy touching down, Mewse converted for a 30-22 lead.
Tellingly Keswick could not consolidate this lead and Morpeth spun the ball wide with the winger touching down in the corner for an unconverted try to make it a three-point game.
When Keswick went down to 14 once again it was a real struggle to keep Morpeth out and they continued to press with the penalty count continuing to go against Keswick.
Sustained pressure saw Keswick concede a penalty try and another yellow card as the game came to a close and although there was a really spirited late effort from Keswick it wasn’t enough.
