What a difference a week makes. Both games in Cumbria One A were repeats of the previous Saturday’s fixtures, and the results were reversed.
Aspatria downed champions Keswick 23-7 at Bower Park, while Cockermouth were 31-7 winners against Wigton.
The Black Reds’ victory ended a three-game losing streak and near-enough guaranteed them a second-place finish, although Cockermouth do retain a mathematical chance.
It's often said a Cumbrian day can consist of all four seasons but, on Saturday, these were crammed into just 80 minutes.
At times the wind howled, heavy rain fell and hail drove furiously up the pitch, all sandwiched between periods of absolute stillness and warm sunshine.
The first 20 minutes of the game mainly consisted of each side striving unsuccessfully for field position. But as the match moved into the second quarter, Aspatria held a narrow lead from a Jack Clegg penalty.
Aspatria’s first clear try-scoring opportunity came on 27 minutes following a five-metre scrum.
The home side used this and the follow-up set-piece to attack, first down the narrow side where Clegg’s dart was held up on the line. From the next scrum, Aspatria attacked the wider part of the pitch and left winger Grant Bethwaite found enough room to get in at the corner flag.
As the half-time whistle approached, Aspatria were awarded a penalty 40 metres out. It was a shot to nothing for Clegg but he managed to split the posts to hand Aspatria a 11-0 advantage.
In the early stages of the second half, Keswick played like champions and began to dismantle the Aspatria defence with effective attacks from both backs and forwards.
With seven minutes played, the impressive Ryan Weir completely wrong-footed several home defenders to blast a gap down the right wing. His run took him 50 metres before the ball was released to the waiting back division and Lewis Bell darted over for a try which was converted.
However, only five minutes after coming back into the game, Keswick were out of it.
The Aspatria try-scoring move started around the halfway line where second-row Matthew Atkinson simply wrenched the ball away from a Keswick man in a tackle situation.
Phil Dixon and Adam Cavanagh did further damage as the Aspatria pack roared forward but it was the decision to release the ball wide that made the try and provided space for Bethwaite to come on to and glide around his opposite number for a killer score.
The visitors were still able to muster threatening attacks but the clock became Keswick’s real enemy and, far too often in the final quarter, they were hurried into mistakes or conceded penalties as Aspatria kept up the press.
A five-metre scrum led to a penalty for Aspatria and they opted for a scrum again. They shoved Keswick backwards and Atkinson took full advantage of the subsequent breakdown to seize the ball and charge down a narrow right side and over the line for the final score.
A poor first-half performance gave Wigton too much to do in the second half and they were soundly beaten by a strong Cockermouth side, seeking revenge for the previous week’s defeat at Lowmoor Road.
Cockermouth came out of the blocks quickly and, in the first minute, their speedy winger raced 50 metres along the touchline to score.
Things got worse for Wigton as both James Wilson and Elliott Armstrong were forced to leave the field with injuries after only seven minutes on the clock.
A second Cockermouth try under the posts on 14 minutes gave the hosts a comfortable lead and then Wigton suffered another injury when replacement Lance Hetherington was taken off, leaving the Greens with no more replacement and 60 minutes still to play.
Following a five-metre line-out, Wigton claimed the ball but a poor pass to Lewis Plackett saw his kick parried.
The Cockermouth forwards seized the ball which was flung along the backs to create an overlap and a try in the corner and leave it 19-0 at half-time.
To their credit, Wigton came out fighting after the break and took the game to Cockermouth.
However, following a good period of possession, the ball was lost and Cockermouth took advantage to score a fourth try.
For the remaining 30 minutes, Wigton were probably the better side and reduced the arrears when Nathan Bell touched down following a series of pick and goes by the forwards. Josh Leeson converted.
Wigton were in the ascendency but, when the ball was lost, it was picked up by a Cockermouth player who raced 40 metres towards the corner.
Charlie Studholme looked to have saved the day with a fine tackle but the referee gave the try.
Cockermouth were well-deserved winners but the afternoon was further soured with a fourth Wigton injury, this time to Plackett.
In the Cumbria One B, Whitehaven completed a quick double over Upper Eden, winning by four points again.
In the game at Kirkby Stephen, it was 20-16 to Whitehaven.
And in the return it finished 22-18 to the west Cumbrians.
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