A penalty two minutes from time earned Aspatria Rugby Club a 10-10 draw with visitors, and table-toppers, Keswick in the Cumbria League Match of the Day.

The final score was a fair result, though, with both teams coping well in the difficult conditions and providing the spectators with an exciting game to watch.

Though the playing surface was good, the wind and rain were diagonal across the pitch and in Keswick’s favour in the first half.

Keswick felt they should have had a penalty try early on after a head-high tackle saved what seemed to be a try in the corner. But Lee Tinnion escaped with a yellow card and Keswick opted for a scrum which they couldn’t develop.

Then a second, strong Keswick move was ended two metres out by an airborne no-arms tackle but, once again, all the visitors earned was a penalty.

After more pressure, Keswick did score on 18 minutes when Aspatria were dispossessed on their 10-metre line and a great pass allowed Olly MacPherson to cross for an unconverted try.

Aided by the wind, Keswick kept the home side pinned in their half, using a series of well-placed kicks to good advantage but were unable to breach the final line of defence.

However, on 28 minutes, a rolling maul by the Keswick pack was collapsed one metre from Aspatria line and, with advantage being played, Mike Tait crossed to score Keswick’s second unconverted try.

As anticipated, from the moment Aspatria kicked off to start the second half, the wind ensured most of the play would be in the Keswick half of the pitch.

Aspatria created some scoring opportunities but were just unable to break through a solid Keswick defence, and the home side did not help themselves with their mounting number of errors.

Finally 20 minutes after the restart, from a five metres scrum, Aspatria ran the ball right before resorting to the forwards with Gary Harrison crossing for a try, converted by Jack Clegg.

Much of the rest of the half was spent with Aspatria attacking hard and Keswick defending resolutely. But it became hard work for the visitors when Aaron Thompson was sin-binned for the last 10 minutes.

Just when it looked as though they were closing in on a fourth straight win, Aspatria were handed a lifeline when a penalty was awarded for a comment made by a Keswick player. Clegg was accurate from 28 metres to secure the draw.

Wigton were comfortable 36-17 winners against Whitehaven to present the main threat to Keswick at the moment – with the pair due to meet on Saturday.

But this was workmanlike, if not spectacular, although it was a memorable afternoon for Wigton skipper Greg Wrathall who scored four tries.

Scrum-half Dan Reed produced moments of high skill and it was his clever pass which sent Elliott Armstrong in for the opening try.

After Wrathall had got over from close-range, it was Reed who charged down a clearance kick to touchdown for the third try.

Whitehaven’s line-out work was an impressive feature of their game and it earned them their opening try from Jamie Martin.

But Wigton got on the score-sheet again before the break as their line-out worked well and Wrathall was driven over for his second try.

With the match points virtually decided at 24-7, much of the intensity went out of the game in the second half. All the subsequent tries came from field position in the opposition red zone as a result of penalties.

Wrathall was driven over again to complete his hat-trick; and even with Mark Deans in the sin-bin, Wigton had too much power with Wrathall claiming his fourth.

Two late penalties allowed Whitehaven to set-up field position and they were rewarded with tries by Kyle Jenkinson and Martin.

In a close encounter at Strawberry How, Cockermouth held on to beat St. Benedict’s 17-14 in an exciting contest.

Cockermouth dominated the opening 15 minutes but all they had to show for it was a penalty from Ed Gate as Benny’s defended strongly.

Against the wind and rain, Cockermouth’s control of the game was impressive and the pack was dominating really well in scrums and driving mauls.

But Benny’s showed their own capabilities after good field position was found by their forwards.

A nice inside pass from stand-off Dan Rayson was supported well by winger Aidan Pirie who went under the posts.

Rayson converted and then hit the post with a penalty attempt – which was to prove crucial in the final analysis.

The opening 20 minutes of the second half was again dominated by Cockermouth and it was the pressure from the Wasps defence which created the homes side’s opening try. Gate pounced on a loose ball and was able to transfer his football skills into a 30-yard dribble to touchdown, adding the conversion.

More pressure resulted in the Benny’s defence giving away a penalty try for hands in the ruck and the home side were good for their 17-7 lead.

It was St Benedict’s who finished the stronger and the last 10 minutes proved tense after Russell Burns had gone in for a try, converted by Rayson. It took a try-saving tackle by Johnny Irving on Rayson to ensure the points for Wasps, who had Jordan Ostle sin-binned in the closing stages.

In the other game, Upper Eden went down 20-14 at bottom side Hawcoat Park.