Last updated 13:40, Monday, 14 April 2008

CARLISLE are still fighting for their lives in North Two East, although they are just outside the bottom three.

They went down 18-17 at Morpeth but a defeat for Old Crossleyans – 22-7 at Driffield – means they are now below the city side on scoring differential.

Aspatria could have done them a favour but they lost 17-11 at Hartlepool Rovers, who are now a point ahead of Carlisle and Old Crossleyans.

It’s all going down to the wire and that could change on Saturday. Hartlepool Rovers play at local rivals and League champions West Hartlepool; Old Crossleyans entertain already relegated York while Carlisle host Driffield, who have just missed out on a promotion play-off place.

Carlisle coach Liam Nicholls said: “We should have done better in the first-half when we had a fair bit of pressure but didn’t keep our discipline. They were awarded, quite correctly, penalties at key moments which allowed them to clear their lines.

“It was 15-3 to Morpeth at half-time but we came back really well to lead 17-15. They kicked a penalty five minutes from time to win it.”

Carlisle still had an opportunity to win the game ion the closing minutes but Ben Rimene’s tough penalty kick from wide-out on the right was adjudged to have gone outside the short posts.

Rimene had kicked a penalty for Carlisle in the first-half when Morpeth led with two tries, a conversion and a penalty.

Carlisle played with a lot of spirit in the second-half and scored two excellent tries, both converted by Rimene, to take the lead.

Full-back Steffen Helies and Rimene himself both ran good lines to slice through and score by the posts.

Unfortunately they conceded a penalty five minutes from the end and the successful kick sent them home pointless.

Aspatria didn’t do enough in the first-half at Hartlepool Rovers or they could have done Carlisle a favour.

Chairman of rugby Mark Richardson said: “We had the elements in the first-half and I have to admit I said at the start I thought it was a 20-point wind.

We only managed 11 by half-time and it didn’t prove to be enough.

“Having said that we played some good rugby and enjoyed a lot of territory and possession, and created opportunities. But it’s four or five games now when we just have made the best of our chances.”

It didn’t help that Aspatria lost outstanding forward Gary Hodgson with a dead leg after he had collided with team-mate Heinrich Jonker.

Dan Rayson, who started in player coach Mike Scott’s fly-half berth, landed two good penalties to give Aspatria some points on the board.

Then some excellent work by the Black Reds forwards saw the ball shipped to the backs where full-back Lee Tinnion came through at pace to go round the last defender and score an unconverted try.

Hartlepool Rovers had a purple patch at the start of the second-half in which they scored their 17 points to lead. They got in for three quick tries but could only convert one.

Aspatria had to re-shuffle after another injury, this one to centre Lee

Askew, and in the conditions could not really exert any sustained pressure on their hosts.

South African Jonker, playing at centre, had a very good game while Chris Tweddle, Mark Irving and Richard Miller were outstanding up-front.