Aspatria took their first step towards Twickenham with an emphatic 52-10 victory over Bolton in their Pool game at Bower Park.

The pre-game prediction, for this National Cup tie, was for a close encounter.

This proved wide of the mark as the pace of the Black Reds back division ripped Bolton apart.

Most teams, at this level, are able to badge one, and if lucky, perhaps two players as genuine ‘flyers’ but Aspatria’s current line-up can claim up to five.

On the wide open space of Bower Park, this is a devastating weapon to unleash, as Bolton witnessed first-hand.

The two sets of forwards were well matched throughout the contest with both teams more or less securing their own ball in the set-piece action.

But out wide a different story emerged as early as the fourth minute when outside centre, Scott Akehurst, shot through the Bolton defence for the first score.

The move was started by a well-timed offload by stand-off, Craig Foster but Akehurst still had plenty to do as he outwitted the defence with a mazy run down the right flank.

Jack Clegg converted his first of the day from out wide.

Bolton struck back minutes later with a long-range penalty effort, the ball bouncing off the crossbar and tottering over.

But, on ten minutes, Clegg restored the seven-point advantage with a penalty from straight in front when Bolton were punished for hands in the ruck.

Aspatria’s second try on 15 minutes was a score of high quality.

Bolton, desperate to clear their lines, booted the ball downfield into the waiting arms of full-back, Liam Vickers. The full-back did not hesitate to attack down the right wing and outflank the slowly encroaching defence.

Vickers was stopped on the 22 but not before he recycled the ball to the assembled Aspatria back line.

From this point, it was a simple crossfield passing movement to put Akehurst in at the left corner flag. Clegg, in great form, sailed the conversion over from the touchline.

This was a purple patch for the home side. Next over the line was back row, Phil Dixon, who had taken on the role of team captain from the injured Andrew Miller.

The move was again started by Vickers who, this time, used the left wing channel to outpace the defence and set-up a ruck on the Bolton line.

Dixon picked up at the base of the ruck and crashed through two defenders to dot down and again Clegg converted.

Bolton looked ragged and minutes later conceded a fourth try.

Vickers outflanked the defence with ease and combined with scrum-half Clegg in a neat set of close inter-passing to get the ball into the visitors 22.

Vickers was rewarded for his efforts when he found himself the last man in line and went over for a deserved score.

With a 31-3 lead after 25 minutes, there was seemingly no way back for Bolton.

Oddly, the score set Bolton off on their best spell of the game. Indeed, they controlled most of the play up to the half-time whistle.

Before the break, they got their reward with a converted try for a 21-10 score-line.

As the second half opened, the visitors achieved a fluency previously missing and the game took on a more even look.

Given the scoring exploits of the first 40 minutes, the next 20 were strangely quiet from Aspatria who looked content to contain Bolton.

Perhaps, following words from the Aspatria coaching team and some positional changes, Aspatria awoke from their slumbers on 63 minutes.

Clegg was now back in his familiar stand-off berth and passes began zinging along the line, allowing Aspatria once more to dominate proceedings.

The fifth try when it came was a piece of robbery, courtesy of second row Liam Ridley who had joined the fray from the bench.

With Aspatria looking to prevent Bolton escaping from their 22, Ridley executed a man and ball tackle to strip possession and recycle to his left.

With Bolton’s defence out of position, Akehurst had a stroll across the line for his hat-trick which Clegg improved.

The try ended Bolton’s resistance and Aspatria again cut loose.

Vickers was given far too much space to build up speed and his 69th-minute run down the wing set-up left winger, Jason Ward for a dart into the corner.

Aspatria added to Bolton’s misery with the last play of the game.

It was virtually a copy of the previous break but this time down the right flank to give Jack Robinson a deserved try for his day's work.

Clegg finished the game with a perfect eight from eight to seal the game and earn him the Aspatria man-of-the-match award.