Last updated 11:22, Friday, 24 October 2008

ASPATRIA player coach Mike Scott expects to be back for the Black Reds when they visit Morpeth tomorrow in North Two East.

Scott missed the EDF National Trophy match at Huddersfield last Saturday with a calf strain.

The Cumbrians were well-beaten in the end 54-10 but they had suffered a catalogue of misfortune after pegging their hosts back to 21-10 just after half-time.

Scott said: “We had a number of injuries and a sin-binning, and were playing a team two Leagues above us, so we were really up against it.

“We had a lot of youngsters among the replacements and it wasn’t really the game to blood them, especially when we finished the match with 14 men because we had used all our subs.”

Props Ian McDowell and Graeme Andrews both had to go to hospital with bad facial cuts but will be ok to return tomorrow.

Jacques Rowe (ankle) and Andrew Miller (knee) are both out for the trip to Morpeth, along with Dan Rayson while Gary Hodgson (shoulder) may have a chance of making the squad.

It looks as though Aspatria have paid a high price for contesting the Cup-tie against a team higher up the union pyramid.

Aspatria are fifth in the table with six points from their five games with Morpeth two points and three places further behind.

Match of the day in North Two East sees Penrith, who are second, entertain third-placed Driffield who are level on points. Carlisle, fourth bottom, are to travel to Halifax to take-on fourth top Old Crossleyans.

In North Lancs Cumbria Workington will anticipate getting back to winning ways when they entertain Oldham - third top against third bottom.

Manager Kevin O’Neil said: “We hope to be on similar lines to last week when we just went down 24-20 at Northern in the Cup. It was a game we should have won.

“What we have got to do is make a strong start. Time and again this season we have been slow out of the blocks and that isn’t helping us.”

Tyldesley, the team immediately above the Zebras, are in Cumbria playing Keswick who also, like the Zebras, lost narrowly in the Cup last week going down 23-20 at home to Gosforth.

“I thought they were a decent side once they got themselves together but it was disappointing after we started so well, scoring three tries in the first 15 minutes. Unfortunately none of them were converted,” said coach Alan Gray.

Wigton have won three in a row - two League and one Senior Vase - and have an intriguing match at Lowmoor Road tomorrow.

They take-on Heaton Moor, the Stockport team who will host them in the third round of the Vase on November 22.

“It will be a good opportunity to run the rule over them before the tie and a good win would be psychologically important,” said coach Malcolm Brown.

Wigton beat Wallsend 32-5 to set-up the tie with Heaton Moor and they have also announced the signing of two new players - Mark Deans and Paul Harrison.

Deans, 25, the former Wath Brow, BARLA and Whitehaven player, along with Harrison, 34, a stalwart of the defunct Wigton ARL club will both play for the Wanderers in their Cumbria League clash at home to Workington Steelers.

St. Benedict’s were narrowly beaten at Oldham last week in the Vase, losing 15-13 and they host Creighton, well beaten 66-3 at home by a very good Percy Park side.

Match of the day in the Cumbria League is likely to be the Copeland derby at the Playground between Whitehaven and Egremont.

Netherhall suffered the agony of an extra-time Vase defeat after a 3-3 draw with Sunderland and the away team went through. They entertain Aspatria Eagles.

Cockermouth travel to Millom and in another Copeland derby, two clubs who have been struggling for numbers are due to meet – Gosforth Greengarth and Moresby.