The nerves of Aspatria supporters must be in tatters as the faithful endured yet another late comeback from the Black Reds.
They had won the opening game 48-46 against Wigton and again at Bower Park they squeezed home 23-20 against Keswick.
The home side is making a habit of leaving it late to cross the winning line and this time it left Keswick in despair, when a late penalty, in bizarre circumstances, clinched victory.
The game was played in typical Cumbrian weather, with bright sunshine being regularly interrupted by heavy showers.
It had no impact on a hard-fought game of some quality, with several outstanding individual performances on both sides.
For Aspatria, none did better than Mark Watson at scrum half, as he was a constant threat and deservedly awarded the man of the match honour.
Keswick had the better of the early exchanges. They took the lead with only two minutes on the clock with a 40 metre penalty kick from scrum half Joe Allday.
Minutes later, Keswick had the first try scoring opportunity of the game, but with the line beckoning, Jack Clegg at fullback brought down the runner short of the line and Aspatria escaped further damage.
Keswick could have continued to build the lead, as two even easier penalty kicks presented themselves as the first half continued.
On each occasion, Keswick opted to go for the corner to launch catch and drive moves. In each instance, the gamble failed to deliver in the face of some sound Aspatria defence.
There was not much to choose between the sides. Although Keswick had the scoring opportunities, Aspatria looked sharp when they had the ball, with Jamie Preston at stand-off getting the best out of the back division.
As 25 minutes played, scoring moves were in short supply as the battle raged in midfield.
It was a contest in which Aspatria were beginning to gain the upper hand. Strong running from the home forwards, particularly those moves featuring Adam Cavanagh, appeared to be breaking down Keswick’s resolve.
The reward came with only a couple of minutes left in the half. Most of the Aspatria pack became involved in a break deep into Keswick territory, with the main damage done by captain Chris Graham in concert with Cavanagh.
Aspatria built a maul situation on the Keswick line that stalled with only a couple of metres to go, but Clegg joined the attack, and when the ball came free, his short dart over the line through a sea of bodies proved unstoppable.
Clegg converted his try to give Aspatria a 7-3 lead but it was short-lived.
There was time to restart the game, and Keswick took full advantage as Aspatria, perhaps unwisely, tried to run the ball out of defence.
Possession was won by the visitors around the home 22, and with the left flank open a try seemed inevitable. Graham’s attempt to stop the score was deemed illegal, and the referee had little option but to award a penalty try and yellow card Aspatria’s captain, sending Keswick into the second half with a 10-7 advantage.
Aspatria, down to 14 men, began the half with possibly their best rugby of the day.
Clegg failed with a long-range penalty on 47 minutes, but Keswick botched the clearance, allowing Aspatria to regain the ball and put number eight Steve Nelson, into sufficient space for a short run to the line, re-establishing a home lead of 14-10.
Keswick immediately came back into contention, driven on by their excellent back row man, Peter Weightman.
His run up-field on 52 minutes split the Aspatria defence, and from there Keswick were able to set up camp close to the home try line.
A penalty, followed by a catch and drive move, finally succeeded for Keswick, and it was fitting that Weightman was last in line to take the ball over to gain a 17-14 lead as his try was converted by Ben Clark.
Into the final quarter, and Keswick looked comfortable in containing most of what Aspatria could throw at them.
Aspatria were being hampered by a high penalty count and finding it difficult to threaten Keswick territory. Remarkably, Aspatria did eventually escape the Keswick noose without damage.
When they moved up-field and earned a penalty, there was no hesitation from skipper Graham, who called on Clegg to knock it over and tie the game at 17 all.
Keswick were far from subdued and within minutes had moved back to the home 22, earning a penalty.
No bravado and thoughts of going for the line. Clark took his time and delivered a slender three-point advantage with only seven minutes remaining.
Aspatria came back at Keswick with a surge up-field and in the visitors’ hearts there must have been a nagging doubt that a three-point advantage might not be enough for a win in this topsy-turvy game.
Indeed, the fun was about to begin.
Aspatria looked unlikely to break Keswick down as the minutes ticked by. The best they could achieve was a penalty on the halfway line. Clegg got hold of the ball and convinced his captain that he had the range.
He did, though only by inches, but it was enough to draw level at 20-20.
Aspatria tails were up. From the restart, they hammered their way into Keswick territory.
There was no time left when the referee signalled a penalty for Aspatria.
By Clegg’s standards, it was a relatively easy kick to win the game. The ball falling off the tee added to the drama and cost vital seconds in his preparation.
Perhaps this was a factor in the kick missing, leaving the game a draw.
But wait. In a moment of forgetfulness, a Keswick player had decided to charge the penalty kick.
This is illegal, and the referee had no option but to provide Clegg with a second chance.
This time, there was no mistake, and Aspatria took four points for the win, leaving Keswick with the scant consolation of a losing bonus point.
