Another frustrating performance from the Black Reds. With a little more composure at crucial times this defeat could easily turned into victory. The home side won ample possession in a scrappy encounter but how to use this effectively eluded them as they went down 15:25.
Aspatria were first out of the traps and really should have scored in the opening minutes as they pressed hard and won good field position. Tyldesley hardly knew what hit them in these early exchanges but the Black Reds helped out by turning over ball at both line out and scrum.
As the game proceeded Tyldesley slowly recovered their composure and came back into the game; again aided by Aspatria who in explicably conceded a succession of penalties. For the first quarter of the encounter, neither team looked capable of breaking the other down. It came as no surprise that the first score on 26 minutes should come as an accident. Having run out of ideas, Tyldesley tried to break the Aspatria line with a chip through. The kick was miss-hit and although it bobbled over the home line there appeared little danger, with two Aspatria men close at hand. Then fate took a hand and the ball leaped to the right and was touched down by an oncoming Tyldesley player. The score was converted to provide the visitors with a 7:0 lead.
The injustice of the situation seemed to fire Aspatria and they came back strongly. The forwards were dominating their opponents at this time and had several opportunities to bully the ball across the line but each time were held up. A score looked inevitable and so it was. On 34 minutes, from a scrum 5 meters out, the forwards released early ball to the backs, Ken Bowes from full back joined the line late and knifed through the defence for an equalising score, converted by Steven Stoddard.
Almost immediately from the restart Tyldesley again got their nose in front through a penalty when Steven Douglas for Aspatria broke up an attack with a deliberate knock down of the ball. In a tit for tat situation Aspatria regained the ball from the subsequent restart and Stoddart knocked over a magnificent drop goal from 33 meters out to end the half all square at 10:10.
What happens to Aspatria at half time? They have won only a single game in twenty three attempts but in at least fifteen of those have started the second period well in contention and then blown up. Today would add to the list. Within 15 minutes of the restart Aspatria had barely touched the ball and their visitors had scored a penalty and two unconverted tries to extend the lead to 10:25.
With the game almost gone, Aspatria then started to play again and most of the remaining action took place in the Tyldesley half. They scored on 20 minutes when centre, Heinie Jonker barged his way over the line following good work by the second row pairing of Mark Rooke and Norman Reilly. Before and after this final score the Black Reds had good opportunities to bounce back and achieve a win. They missed out through a combination of poor decision making and also some good, if desperate defence from the visitors who on the balance of play just about deserved the victory.
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