This was a classic, hard fought and sometimes feisty Cumbrian derby in Regional 2 North, writes Ben Challis.
It ended in the win for Aspatria, which was secured with the very last kick of the game as Keswick gave away a penalty just five metres short of their try line and Aspatria’s Jack Clegg slotted the ball between the sticks to the delight of his team mates and the visiting support.
This was monumental battle and whilst Aspatria looked stronger in the scum for the opening 30 minutes, did well with line outs, and both defences looked strong, Keswick’s pace on the wings looked like it might be the game changer and indeed it was Keswick to took the first points when a Ryan Scott try line clearance was charged down by Ned Barnes.
Barnes, quicker to react than Scott, scooped up the ball and accelerated forwards with a 15 metre sprint to dive down by the right wing corner flag for an unconverted try, with Scott clinging to his back in a failed attempt to halt the Keswick man.
With a 5-0 lead Keswick now went into a war of attrition with the Black Reds with both teams putting pressure on each other’s try lines but the only other score in the first forty minutes was a single penalty goal from three attempts from Keswick’s Kieran Mewse, with the home side taking a 8-0 lead into half time.
Despite having lost the influential Scott to injury, Aspatria opened the second half with a converted try from Matthew Atkinson who was just too powerful to stop on the try line, with Clegg adding a conversion for 8-7.
As the game moved up and down the pitch, Clegg then took advantage of another penalty award from referee Martin Maughan to kick Aspatria into the lead with an excellent long range attempt and the 8-10 lead.
Keswick applied the pressure and then retook the lead when a sustained attack allowed Jack Tinkler to break through the Aspatria line and dot down for and unconverted try and the home side were now 13-10 ahead.
Keswick now looked the more likely to score with Danny Price using his pace to twice make rapid runs down the left wing, but he was blocked both times by the Black Reds’ defence.
Both sides were defending well but both were giving away too many penalties, and it was Clegg rather than Mewse who took the next three points to draw the teams level with ten minutes left to play.
And then in the final minutes try line pressure from Aspatria was well defended by Keswick with the clock ticking down, but a last gasp penalty just five metres out was an open invitation to Clegg to win the game and he duly took the kick and Aspatria took the win 13-16 as the final whistle blew.
After an excellent run of early season form, Keswick have now fallen to five losses on the bounce, although three of those results, home games against Guisborough (21-22), Northern (17-19) and Aspatria have been extremely close, with only Sunderland grabbing a dominant win over Keswick with their 41-15 win in Sunderland.
Aspatria will be delighted with the win, and the double over Keswick in the league, having slumped to second to bottom of the table before the match.
Regional 2 North is a very competitive division, and in other results Consett beat Sunderland 36-5 at home, Durham beat Percy Park 32-21, Morpeth beat Upper Eden 24-12 and Northern defeated West Hartlepool 28-14.
Bottom club Wigton, who have yet to win a game this season, almost pulled off the surprise of the day losing out by just one point away at Guisborough in a game that ended 19-18 to the home side and which saw rugby legend Tane Manihera play alongside both of his sons, Flynn and Theo, and despite the defeat, this must be an encouraging result for the north Cumbrians.
Northern stay top the table, Consett are now in second place, and Keswick sixth. Aspatria remain 11th with the three teams directly above them, Morpeth, Guisborough and Durham, all winning. Keswick face Wigton away next Saturday, December 20.
