Keswick went into their game against Percy Park in fourth spot in the Regional 2 North table, writes Ben Challis.
They went in six points behind Percy Park, but an ultimately comfortable – and highly enjoyable – 51-20 bonus point win means that Keswick are now snapping at their heels, just one point behind, with all to play for at the business end of the regular season.
Keswick were on the backfoot at the start of this game, giving away two penalties which were both taken by Percy Park’s George Chapman.
That was as good as it got for the visitors, and Keswick hit back with a Jamie Wilson try, converted by Joe Allday, and then Allday added a penalty for 6-10 25 minutes in.
Two minutes later George Cowen went over to score on the left wing, set up by excellent Keswick cross passing initiated by Glen Weightman and finished by Dan Craghill who set up Cowen to dive in for a his debut Regional 2 North try.
Next up for Keswick was Wilson with his second try, with Glen Wightman making valuable yards and Wilson setting off from deep in his own half and sprinting through the Percy Park pack to dot down under the sticks for a try duly converted by Allday for 22-6.
With a minute left of the first half, and with Glen Weightman controlling the field of play, captain Peter Weightman put in a charge on the left wing, and broke through two tackles to dive in for an unconverted try and 27-6 at half time.
Keswick began the second half as they had finished the first, with Ben Clark putting in a fabulous sprint on a diagonal slant from the half way line, fending off the last chasing defender to dive in by the right wing corner flag for an unconverted try giving Keswick a 32-6 lead.
Percy Park finally hit back with a converted try for 32-13, and although there were still 25 minutes left to play, it already looked too little to late, and indeed Keswick responded with another breakaway try, this one from Allday, who charged through the middle of the visitors’ defence to touch down and then convert his own try.
Next up was the try of the match, Keswick’s seventh, set up by another jinking run the increasingly influential Ryan Weir, and then yet another powerful charge forwards as Sam Holt set off from the half way line to dive in to ecstatic celebrations from his team mates, but with Allday hitting the post with his conversion attempt.
The visitors then gave the score line some respectability with another converted try for 44-20, but there was still time for the icing on the cake as Keswick’s Ally Hewett-Smith was delighted to crash though the Percy Park defence for Keswick’s final and eighth try, again converted by Allday.
The 51-20 bonus point win leaves Keswick in fourth spot in the table, now just one point behind Percy Park.
Northern FC stormed onwards towards to title, defeating Aspatria 6-36 with Aspatria’s relegation woes deepening with second placed Consett narrow loss 24-28 at home to Durham, and with Morpeth and Guisborough battling to a 15-15 draw.
Upper Eden’s 26-19 win over fifth placed Sunderland was good news for Keswick and it has given Keswick a four point buffer above Sunderland, and already relegated Wigton had a good go against West Hartlepool, but fell to a 26-49 home loss.
Keswick will face Northern away next weekend in what will be a stern test for the Kestrels.
