Aspatria escaped from Silloth with what was just about a deserved 17-6 win.

But the after-game plaudits were reserved for a home performance that made a mockery of the Tigers’ lowly league position in North Lancs Cumbria.

Following the postponement of league leaders De La Salle’s game with Fleetwood, due to a waterlogged pitch, the four points gained by Aspatria pushes them into second place.

The Black Reds are a further four points adrift of new league leaders Carlisle, setting up a mouth-watering clash between the two, at Bower Park next Saturday.

Silloth remain in deep trouble, fixed to the bottom of the league. However, there was enough in this performance to suggest the return of Mark Orchard to the coaching set-up is beginning to pay dividends and better days are ahead.

Aspatria anticipated a tough challenge at their near neighbours.

They also expected a difficult first 20 minutes before the game settled down. What they did not foresee was a ferocious assault that refused to go away during the whole of the game.

From the whistle, Silloth showed a level of controlled aggression that Aspatria only slowly came to terms with.

The home team can count themselves unlucky not have been on the scoreboard as early as the second minute when a clear scoring opportunity down the right flank failed due to the final pass being adjudged forward.

The Silloth pack had a number of heroes but none better than Jamie Baxter whose enthusiasm to front up set an example that others were keen to follow.

In this mood, and against lesser opposition, Silloth would surely have been rampant.

Although, on the back foot, Aspatria have a well marshalled and resolute defence steered from the front by the back row pairing of Phil Dixon and Jono Burnyeat.

In the early exchanges, some astute kicking from Silloth stand-off Luke Johnston kept turning Aspatria, forcing any attacks to start from deep.

Aspatria were seeing plenty of the ball as the game moved into the second quarter but the error count was high and this helped Silloth keep a clean sheet.

On 21 minutes, an Aspatria attack was halted around the 22 meter line when the Silloth scrum half illegally blocked a runner. He received a yellow card for his trouble and Aspatria took full advantage.

The penalty went to the corner where the ball was well controlled. Second row, Matthew Atkinson peeled off the back of the scrum and inflicted the initial damage on Silloth with defenders having to pile in to stop the run.

The ball was recycled right, where number eight Greg Dickinson had got himself in a great position to outflank a thin defence and go over in the corner. Jack Clegg’s conversion was good.

Aspatria were now dominating the game but the play was too frantic in situations where patience would have been rewarded. On two occasions, the visitors came close to adding to the earlier try.

The first opportunity was on 31 minutes when scrum half Clegg faded wide right from a scrum and put full-back Liam Vickers in space. Only a late and desperate ankle tap prevented Vickers from opening up the gap between the teams.

Moments later, Aspatria thought they had scored as Silloth failed to defend an intricate backline move that ended with right winger Jack Robinson sailing through for a score under the sticks, only to be brought back as the referee judged an earlier movement in the piece as crossing.

With the half coming to a close, Aspatria paid the price for their largesse when Silloth’s evergreen full-back Steven Stoddart nailed two late penalties and, at 7-6, provided the home side with a genuine chance of upsetting the form book.

The intensity with which Silloth were playing this game failed to diminish as the second half wore on.

Home favourite Dan Yeoman continued to cause havoc in the Aspatria ranks with his direct running. Aspatria were back on the rack but, against the run of play, they scored next.

The Black Reds regained the ball around their own 22 when a promising Silloth attack broke down. The ball went right to outside centre Scott Akehurst and he burst down field to transfer the action to the Silloth 22.

Silloth’s scrambling defence held up Aspatria but only at the cost of a penalty.

Normally, Aspatria would go to the corner to mount their effective catch and drive tactic but, on this occasion and recognising the reality of their situation, Clegg opted to take the three points on offer for a 10-6 advantage.

Into the last quarter and the opposing packs forgot this was a game between 'friendly’ neighbours and went to war.

There were no winners but the first casualty was Mark Beverley who, on 75 minutes, was yellow carded for retaliation following a high tackle that on another day would also have warranted the same punishment.

In the last ten minutes, Silloth, after a monumental effort, looked spent and Aspatria dominated field position.

Akehurst and Vickers combined down the right flank to outpace the Silloth defence and a long range try looked a certainty.

Vickers should have scored but was denied at the death by a magnificent last ditch tackle from Ricky Holt, who had tracked the runner from the opposite side of the pitch.

With only minutes remaining, tempers flared again among the two combative packs. The referee lost patience and off to the bin went Aspatria’s Atkinson and Silloth’s Baxter.

The final score of the day followed shortly after.

Silloth, penned in the 22 had the opportunity to clear their line but the ball was in the hands of a very tired prop forward who took too long to size up the kick.

Jason Ward for Aspatria had raced across the pitch from his left wing berth and got fingertips on the ball which flew backward into the Silloth in-goal area.

Ward is quick and had no problem winning the race to the touch down. Clegg’s conversion ended the scoring.