Aspatria Rugby Club bounce back from opening-day loss against rivals Wigton

The result owed much to the brilliance of full-back Ken Bowes.

A stiff breeze blew down the slope and the hosts had first use of what seemed favourable conditions. Wigton didn’t make good use of this natural advantage but, in truth, nor did Aspatria when their turn came in the second half.

From the start, Aspatria generated the first scoring opportunity on four minutes.

A kickable penalty was awarded in their favour but they spurned the opportunity to quickly tap and run the ball. Wigton did well to snuff out the threat but Aspatria had announced they were here for all the points.

With Aspatria having the better of the early exchanges, it was no surprise when they hit the front on 13 minutes.

A lazy clearing kick out of Wigton’s defence found Bowes in his own half. The full-back returned the ball metres without so much as a hand laid on him. Left winger Patrick Noutch was alert to the opportunity and followed Bowes upfield. When Bowes encountered his opposite number, he passed to Noutch who sailed over the line. Jack Clegg converted.

Wigton’s main threat should have come through use of the stiff breeze to punt downfield but the kicking wasn’t accurate and failed to stretch the Aspatria defence.

On 20 minutes, a Wigton put in at the scrum allowed Aspatria to extend the lead. Clegg, at scrum-half for the visitors, harassed Wigton’s Fergus Ledingham at the base of the set-piece. The ball bobbled free and the home side conceded a penalty which Clegg converted to make it 10-0.

During the first quarter Wigton had been starved of possession but, as the game progressed, they gradually began to reverse the situation.

The home side began to push Aspatria back into the 22. Solid ball carries by second-row Robert Marrs and No.8 Greg Wrathall tested the defence but the black and red line refused to buckle. For Aspatria, Phil Dixon at flanker put in some crucial tackles, even so the pressure Wigton exerted should have resulted in a score but, at vital moments, Aspatria were saved by home side handling errors.

The Wigton assault lasted a full 10 minutes without reward.

On 31 minutes, Aspatria had some respite and regained the ball. The visitors launched a desperate-looking clearance kick into the Wigton half. There was no real threat but the Wigton defenders allowed the ball to bounce, failing to bring it under control.

Aspatria rampaged forward in numbers and stole the ball back. Clegg, positioned behind the action, took charge and pinged a beautifully-flighted kick into the path of Bowes who accelerated up the touchline. The Wigton cover defence nearly got to the flying full-back but, with a final dive, Bowes scored in the corner to make it 15-0.

A disappointing outcome for Wigton but one that spurred them into action.

From the restart, Wigton again pushed Aspatria deep. The defence was robust but not without cost with Clegg receiving a yellow card for an illegal tackle.

On 39 minutes, Wigton finally got their reward from a five-metre scrum on the left with winger Steven Harris crashing in at the corner. The conversion was unsuccessful, allowing Aspatria to take a 15-5 advantage into the second half.

Aspatria’s game plan was simple. If Wigton wanted a way back into this game, they would be made to play out of their 22. This initially succeeded. Wigton had ample possession and willing runners but they were coming from deep and Aspatria’s defence was waiting.

On 52 minutes, Aspatria looked to have sealed victory with a third try.

An Aspatria penalty was used to set-up a line-out 15 metres from the Wigton try-line.

This was beautifully controlled and it was no surprise when Matthew Atkinson peeled off the end on his way to the whitewash. Atkinson’s charge was halted but he had prop Graham Andrews to his right to take over. Andrews got to within a couple of metres of the line and the momentum ended, but up popped Noutch for a classic poachers try. Clegg converted to make it 22-5.

So, in the Aspatria camp, all was going well? Well not quite, the discipline which was a feature of the first half, disappeared in its entirety.

Penalty upon penalty were conceded for near enough every offence in the law book of rugby.

This gave Wigton a constant stream of possession and they were not about to waste it. The game turned on its head and the Wigton comeback was very much on.

At 60 minutes and following an extended period of pressure, the home forwards probing runs finally paid off with a try for hooker Elliot Armstrong. Dan Reed’s conversion was good to bring the score back to 22-12.

Aspatria’s infringements continued despite ample finger wagging by the man in the middle with Aspatria’s Mark Beverley sent to the bin, providing another aid to the Wigton revival. A Reed penalty pegged the score back to 22-15 and Wigton were now within a single converted try.

Aspatria tried to counter but, frustratingly, wasted two good field positions with lost line-outs. Aspatria attacks were becoming rarer but, on the 70-minute mark, forwards Andrews and Adam Cavanagh combined well to launch a foray into the Wigton half.

It came as a huge relief when Wigton stopped the move but, in doing so, they conceded a penalty. Clegg converted and, at that point, Wigton realised the game was up.