Aspatria hang on for first win
Last updated 19:48, Thursday, 25 September 2008
ASPATRIA came out top in the Cumbrian derby with neighbours Carlisle to register their first win in North Two East.
The Black Reds had to survive a late Carlisle surge but came out ahead 25-17 at Bower Park.
Carlisle started and finished the game strongly but in between it was Aspatria who had the better of things and scored the points that mattered.
The city side came out of the changing rooms fired up and enjoyed some strong early pressure which eventually resulted in a try on 10 minutes – lock Gareth Wylie plunging over and Glen Weightman converting.
Although Carlisle had the edge over the first quarter of the game they were unable to add to their lead.
Aspatria began to take over and were put in contention with two penalties from player coach Mike Scott.
Gary Hodgson was in good form again for the Black Reds in the back row and he initiated the move which produced the first Aspatria try.
The ball was moved sweetly along the line for Andrew Miller to go over in the corner.
Aspatria continued to force the pace and after continual pressure Heini Jonkers got over for a try which Scott converted.
Carlisle did get back into it just before the break when Weightman kicked a penalty and at 18-10 the game was still very much in the balance.
Aspatria started positively in the second half and they were soon back on the offensive, eventually being rewarded with a third try.
Jacques Rowe did the spadework and it was the outstanding Hodgson who finished off. Scott tacked on the conversion.
But very much as they had done at Driffield a week earlier Aspatria went to sleep late in the game and had to put in some solid work in defence.
They did concede again, however, when youngster Chris Harris, playing only his second match in the centre, touched down between the sticks. Matt Rogers, who had replaced Weightman in the second half, added the extras.
Keswick enjoyed their first win as a North Lancs Cumbria League side when they beat Burnley 23-19 in a cracking contest at Davidson Park.
With the lead changing hands eight times throughout the game it was one that proved enjoyable and exciting, both for the players and the spectators.
Last season’s Cumbria League champions had opened with a defeat at Aldwinians while Burnley, who were also promoted, had been beaten at home by Kirkby Lonsdale.
It was a key game for both teams, given that they had stepped up in standard, and was as close as the score suggested, with Keswick coming through to get the lead when it mattered through two penalties in the last five minutes.
Burnley had been best out of the blocks and they went in front early on with an unconverted try.
Gradually Keswick came back and after John Hine had kicked a penalty to get them on the board he added a second to put the home side in front for the first time.
But then the advantage swayed to and fro with a series of penalties taking the score from 6-5 to 6-8 to 9-8 and finally to 9-11 at half-time.
Given the context of the game it was no surprise to see Hine drop a goal early in the second half to edge Keswick back into the lead. But that was quickly followed by a Burnley penalty and at 12-14 it was still anyone’s game.
Keswick went close through Ben Farrell but they kept up the pressure from that attack and scored an excellent try. The ball was moved by Hine and Andy Wallace to Bruce Rigby who went in for an unconverted try.
Still Burnley stayed in the game and Keswick knew they had more work to do when the visitors responded with an unconverted try of their own.
Entering the final stages Hine won the game for Keswick when he landed two penalties in the last five minutes.
Workington also got their first win of the season in North Lancs Cumbria when they beat Aldwinians – Keswick’s opening day conquerors.
In many ways it was a game of two halves with the Zebras establishing a 15-0 lead by half-time and the visitors coming back in the second half with 10 points of their own.
Workington weren’t helped in the second half by losing influential forward David Bowe who was given a red card. The 14 men had to dig in resolutely to ensure that the Cumbrians passed the winning post still ahead.
Mike Hawley had been the hero for the Zebras in the first half when he scored two very good tries. One of them was converted by Kevin Harper who also added a penalty.
But it was Aldwinians who had the better of the exchanges in the second half and gradually got back into the game.
John Aitcheson scored a try, converted it himself and also added a penalty for the Manchester side.
When Bowe was red-carded there were some anxious moments in the Workington defence over the closing stages but they held on for the win which was just about deserved.
Wigton lost at home to Tyldesley 20-6.
There aren’t many 0-0 scorelines in rugby union but Saturday’s St Bendict’s v Whitehaven Cumbria League game produced that score.
Netherhall recorded a win in their first league game of the season with a comfortable 34-0 success over Workington Steelers.
The game was pretty tight for the first 20 minutes with neither side creating many scoring chances.
Mike Fagan drove into the visitors’ half and the ball was fed to Tony Nicholson who put in one of his well-rehearsed kicks which saw Carl Bell race past the defence to score in the corner. Paul Atkinson put the conversion wide.
Netherhall were on top now and good runs by Ryan Robertson backed up by the ever-supportive Jonathan Burnyeat saw Workington concede a penalty.
Atkinson slotted it over and then converted a second try, this one again from Nicholson which was a good individual score.
Workington were competing well but were on the back foot most of the time. Andrew Branthwaite, who was making good ground with each drive, finally managed to brush off his tacklers and score a try which was once again converted by Atkinson to make it 22-0 at half-time.
Netherhall expected to score a lot more in the second half but dogged defence by the visitors and dropped passes by the home side saw the addition of only 12 more points.
A fine individual second try from Bell was converted by Atkinson to increase the home lead. Andrew Renney was working hard for the home side and he forced the ball wide to Lee Towers who fed Fagan.
He was tackled short of the line but Nicholson went down the blind side and gave a brilliant dummy before feeding Mark Orchard to score an unconverted try.
The match between Cockermouth and Gosforth Greengarth was called off because the Copeland side are short on numbers and were unable to put out a front row.
Another team struggling at the moment for players are Moresby and they paid the price, going down 54-7 at home to Egremont.
Creighton had a good contest with Aspatria Eagles before emerging 34-15 winners at Sycamore Lane.
It was the visitors who took the lead when Jack Clegg dropped a goal in the first minute.
Creighton responded almost immediately and were soon 12-3 to the good as Simon Turner and Dan Greenslade went in for tries, one of which was converted by Greenslade.
The Eagles, who had an average of just over 19 and included only two players over the age of 22, had a good spell of possession in the Creighton 22 but couldn’t break through.
It was Creighton, however, who scored next as scrum-half Dean Lambert shot through for a try which Greenslade converted. Aspatria responded well and Clegg darted down the blindside to score an unconverted try.
Right on the half-time whistle Greenslade kicked a penalty for the home side to lead 22-8 at the break.
Aspatria needed to score next and they did when scrum-half Lee Holliday got over and Clegg added the conversion.
But then a catalogue of calamities turned the game Creighton’s way. A kick through came back off the post, hit an Aspatria player on the back of the head and popped up nicely for Tom Reed to score. Greenslade converted.
Near the end Greenslade helped himself to his second try from an interception and took his match-haul to 19 points.
Wigton Wanderers lost 44-3 at Millom.
Fixtures – North Two East: Billingham v Aspatria.
North Lancs Cumbria: Aldwinians v Wigton, Burnley v Workington, Fleetwood v Keswick.
Cumbria: Cockermouth v Aspatria Eagles. Egremont v Netherhall, Wigton Wanderers v St Benedict’s, Workington Steelers v Millom.
