Aspatria recovered from a disappointing defeat at Keswick last week to beat the Regional 2 North leaders Morpeth 13-12 at Bower Park.
Yet 20 minutes into the second half Aspatria were playing their best rugby of the season and in command of the game.
They led 13-7, having scored two tries, and it looked plausible that they would go on to take a victory with something to spare and possibly all five points.
At this high point Aspatria captain, Jack Gaskell, was yellow carded for an illegal tackle and the mood of the game was turned on its head. In the end the Black Reds held on for an important victory.
The early contest was a very even affair and in near-perfect playing conditions the teams produced some excellent rugby. Attack was the order of the day but early chances generated by both teams were not taken in the face of some unflinching defence.
Morpeth broke the deadlock on 12 minutes with a classic score. A penalty handed them a line-out on the Aspatria five-metre line. It was efficiently executed and as several forays to the line sucked defenders in the visitors’ stand-off found space to evade the last defender to go over, and help deliver a 7-0 advantage.
Aspatria continued to trouble the Morpeth defence and looked the more likely to score next but on 20 minutes they were content to settle one attack with a Matty Irving penalty.
The home side continued the offensive and came close to claiming the lead on 25 minutes from a superb break by centre Ryan Scott. He came into possession in the Aspatria half and his run down the right flank out-paced the closing defence.
Morpeth’s full-back remained solid and forced Scott into a chip and chase but the bounce was unkind to Aspatria, although the pressure was ramping up on Morpeth.
Aspatria took up residency on the Morpeth line, and how and why they failed to score as Morpeth defended three successive scrums will be a topic for debate on the training ground, but hats off to the visitors who somehow found a way to frustrate these attacks.
With the scrummaging class over, Aspatria’s next attack took them up towards the right corner flag.
Scrum-half Jack Clegg made good ground to suck in the final defender. His pass to the support runner looked good but was then batted down by the Morpeth man who received a yellow card for his try-saving intervention.
No penalty try was given but Aspatria did not have to wait long for that elusive first score. Another penalty scrum led to a maul and Jamie Lightfoot, operating at number eight, took his opportunity to dive through a forest of legs for the score and an 8-7 half-time lead.
Aspatria carried their attacking momentum into the early stages of the second half. Only a handful of minutes had elapsed when Scott, on the visitors 22 line, launched a majestic cross-field kick to the left corner flag. The ball was contested in the air by both sides but neither could gain control.
Aspatria left wing Grant Bethwaite was the first to react with an astute dive as the ball hit the deck for an opportunist try.
The conversion was missed but at 13-7 it looked very much like Aspatria had the measure of Morpeth and possessed the capacity for further scores. Then Gaskell walked and Morpeth were transformed.
The visitors assumed near full control of proceedings. They were in and around the Aspatria 22 for much of the remaining game. Penalties came and went. Aspatria held out and went down to 13 men as Lightfoot saw yellow.
It seemed impossible for the home side to hold out but that is just what they did. Morpeth threw the kitchen sink at those in black and red but to no avail.
Morpeth spurned several penalty kick attempts to close the score gap. Such was the number of these that the referee must have been considering a penalty try. Morpeth also suffered from some careless ball handling at crucial moments and perhaps this was their biggest sin.
The clock which initially was in Morpeth’s favour now became the enemy. Aspatria got back to 15 men without conceding. Perversely this was when the home defence finally crumbled. Missed tackles allowed a try at the corner flag but a tricky conversion was missed leaving the home side with a single point lead.
At the re-start the referee signalled three minutes remaining. It must have sounded like three hours to those Aspatria defenders. Morpeth immediately took up the attack and in one final flurry of activity seemed to have set up a clear overlap as they attacked the left flank. Much to Aspatria’s relief the final pass was dropped and the celebrations could begin.
