With 15 minutes remaining, Durham scored their third try of the day and Aspatria had yet to score any.
This disparity should have made it Durham’s day but they could not escape the reliable boot of Aspatria’s Jack Clegg who in the same timespan kicked 5 penalties to keep the home side’s interests alive.
The high penalty count incurred by Durham would come back to haunt them in the final few minutes of the game as Aspatria’s pack took control of the game and bludgeoned over for a winning score.
The win leaves Aspatria 8th in the league but they are now cushioned from the relegation zone by a comfortable 15 points.
Aspatria began the game with a powerful attack on the Durham line. Left wing, Alex Barton came close to opening the scoring but a solid defensive effort stopped him short. Following this initial burst of activity Durham took a grip on the game.
A move of some quality flowed upfield and had the Aspatria defence floundering. A try beckoned but a careless forward pass rescued the home side.
Play evened out and with 13 minutes played Clegg knocked over his first penalty of the day to open the scoring. Clegg would leave the field a couple of minutes later, yellow carded after disrupting a Durham charge to the try line with a deliberate knock on.
As the game progressed it was clear that the home pack had a distinct edge in the set scrummage.
It was also clear that Durham’s wide men had the pace to trouble Aspatria if they could get hands on the ball. Durham demonstrated their prowess in this area on 23 minutes with a wide sweeping backline move that started around halfway and rounded the Aspatria defence to score close to the posts and establish a 3:7 lead.
Durham’s second try followed minutes later and again it was pace that caught out the home defence.
The visitors were now playing with confidence and came close to a third try but wasted a two man overlap.
Closing in on halftime Aspatria came back into contention following some robust work by the home pack. A try would not come in the face of Durham’s well-drilled defence but Clegg was able to reduce the halftime arrears to 6-12 with a well struck penalty.
Durham started the second half with a strong offensive effort but failed to break Aspatria down. Aspatria’s defence was working well, but Durham’s consistent penalty concessions were also a significant factor in disarming their attacking intentions.
Gradually, Aspatria’s forwards began to hammer at the Durham line. They went close to a score but were held up over the line. Around this time the referee had no option but to
warn Durham over their constant infringing. It didn’t stop and Clegg used two more penalties to level the score line at 12 all.
On 60 minutes Durham failed to regain the lead when a penalty attempt drifted wide but moments later they were ahead again courtesy of a near carbon copy of their earlier tries. Once again an arcing run found space and a lack of defenders.
The conversion was missed but Durham now held the upper hand at 12-17.
Clegg’s fifth penalty of the day on 66 minutes reduced the deficit to 15-17. The referee had had enough and yellow-carded one of the defenders. These events visibly lifted Aspatria as they pounded the Durham line. The killing blow came with a handful of minutes left in the game.
It was not a pretty score; simply, the home forwards outmuscled their Durham counterparts to force James Hunter over the line.
Clegg nailed the conversion from wide out for 22-17. There was time to restart but there was no way back for Durham in the face of a determined Aspatria defence.
Fittingly, the home man of the match was awarded to a forward. Hooker Adam Cavanagh whose ball carrying efforts tormented Durham throughout the game getting the honour.
