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 Looking ahead to next season and life in North Lancs Cumbria, Aspatria are aiming to bring in a coaching assistant for Mark Richardson.
Club stalwart Mel Hanley admitted this week that the Black Reds have written-off the current campaign as they sit bottom of North One West with relegation as good as confirmed.
“We are testing the water really, just to see what’s out there. We are looking for some one who may be a current coach, a player who wants to get into coaching or an administrator.
“Initially it will be to assist Mark but in 2011 he is set to take over the captaincy at Seascale Golf Club so he won’t have the time to devote to the rugby club as he does now.
“We advertised last eek-end and so far have had four applications, one from a chap who currently coaches in Yorkshire. Maybe he’s thinking of re-locating with his job and is looking at his rugby options.
“We will be sitting down towards the end of March and seeing just what the options are. The main aim is to retain the players we have now and recruit two or three more mature players for next season,” said Hanley.
Last Saturday the Black Reds lost 15-10 at Blackburn where the battle to avoid North One West’s wooden spoon was no less committed than if the championship itself was at stake.
Unfortunately, the desperation both sides clearly felt resulted in a game of low quality, providing damming evidence as to why Blackburn and Aspatria are well adrift at the foot of the table.
Four players who were unavailable last week – Richard Miller, James Ravell, Gary Harrison and Stephen Moss – all return for tomorrow’s trip to New Brighton.
The only downside is that ace kicker Stoddart is not travelling as his wife is expecting a baby this week-end.
Aspatria have lost two backs to Carlisle in Lee Tinnion and Lee Askew with the latter set to make his debut for the city side tomorrow at Morpeth.
After three successive wins (two of them on the road) Carlisle travel to the north east for yet another important fixture in their survival strategy in North 1 East.
Morpeth are immediately below the city side in the table, but three points adrift.
So, it is important that Carlisle keep their recent momentum alive and drive a greater wedge between themselves and those below.
Carlisle’s most recent success was a 23-5 win over Old Brodleians in Halifax last Saturday.
Hopefully, a result at Morpeth, and the probability of some reverses among the five teams above them on seventeen points, will see the Warwick Road team take a leap up the table!
Things never always run smoothly though; Carlisle have been forced into some changes due to unavailability as a result of injury and work commitments, but remain confident that their selection will give a good account of themselves.
Martin Kalinowski is moved from the tight head to loose head berth and Martin McGimpsey takes over at loose head. Tom Graham hooks.
Paul Halliday and Gary Graham make up the locks. Both youngsters, they have been introduced gradually, making their respective impacts confidently.
Mark Barron takes over in the middle of the back row.
George Graham resumes at scrum half and his half back partner will be Glen Weightman who take on the captain's mantle for the absent Steve Stamper.
Weightman has been having a good season, consistently appearing in the top three of the league points scoring list and the top kickers. His more recent exploits now see him featuring in the top try scoring lists too!
Lee Askew finally makes his debut for the club after initially joining in the summer.
Carlisle Colts accompany the senior squad to the north east and they will take on their Morpeth counterparts in an endeavour to stabilize their top three slot in the Colts League.
 Plans to relocate Kendal Rugby Club to the opposite end of the town have been torpedoed by a Government planning inspector.
The club had been hoping to move to a site on Oxenholme Road, financed by the redevelopment of the club’s existing ground, in Shap Road, into a supermarket and non-food retail warehousing with 420 car parking spaces.
Although the Oxenholme Road portion of the scheme was granted by South Lakeland District Council planning chiefs, they rejected the development of the Shap Road site into a retail complex.
George Baird, Government Planning Inspector, has dismissed an appeal by the applicant Morbaine Ltd - property developers - based on adverse affects on traffic flows.
“Kendal has an acknowledged and serious problem with congestion,” he said. “In particular, the Station Road, Longpool roundabout junction... operates at or above capacity.
“The proposed development, while it would result in reductions on traffic flows elsewhere in the town centre, would result in a material increase in the amount of traffic using this junction. This would unacceptably exacerbate the problem of congestion and adversely affect the free flow of traffic.”
He added: “Concerns relate to the potential loss of the mixed use element and the adverse impact on local character.”
Although the inspector acknowledged that the Rugby Club’s current facilities are “dated” and the move would be of benefit both to the club and the community, he said the adverse affect to traffic outweighed any benefit from the club’s relocation.
The Kendal club board is aware of the Inspector's decision to dismiss the appeal against refusal of permission for redevelopment at Mint Bridge. The developer and the board are now reviewing the position to decide the way forward.
Kendal coach Jon Nicholson again shuffles his replacements bench tomorrow for the visit of Hull by selecting the evergreen Billy Coxon for a welcome return to senior duty.
Coxon, who had anmnounced his retirement last year, has been playing for the second team recently, helping them to two successive wins.
Penrith kept the pressure up on the two teams above them in National Three North with a convincing 48-5 home win against bottom of the table West Park. 
The Cumbrians were never under any great threat and scored at regular intervals throughout the game.
It is a measure of the standards they are setting themselves that they were disappointed with a forty odd point win thinking they could have done a bit better.
The visit of Birkenhead Park tomorrow will be a completely different affair as they are the only side this season Penrith have taken nothing off, not even a losing bonus point.
Significantly they are the only side Penrith have come off the field and not felt they should have beaten.
It is a game they will have to win if they are to maintain their pursuit of Stockport and Morley at the top of the league.
Team manager Kevin Johnston said: “We have been looking at this game for a while now even before their recent improved run of results. They impressed us down there, working very hard for each other and it’s going to be a tough game.”
The big plus for Penrith, however, is that they can field an unchanged side.
In North Lancs Cumbria Wigton play their final home game of the season and will want to finish with a big performance for their supporters against bottom side Burnley.
Last week they beat Eccles 38-12 and are closing in on the title, although they will have six away games in a row to make sure after tomorrow’s clash with Burnley.
 Coach Nigel Beaty said: “It was a particularly pleasing performance as we had several changes in the backs. Fergus Ledingham, who has not played scrum half for two years, came in for Tane and did a superb job.
“The players are growing in confidence as each challenge is overcome. However there is no complacency - the players know we still need to improve in several areas.”
With Workington losing at St Benedict’s it is now Kirkby Lonsdale who will be the main threat to the title they have three games in hand but are 11 points behind.
After stuttering performance in a close win at struggling Burnley the previous week it was business as usual for Keswick as they comprehensively beat a poor Oldham side 41-7 at Davidson Park.
They hope to follow-up at Davidson Park tomorrow when they host Aldwinians, just a few weeks after a 15-15 draw in Droylsden.
The Zebras have rather fallen apart in the last month and their promotion challenge has been affected, all really down to injuries to key players.
Former Kendal and Penrith centre Martin Armstrong is a particularly big miss as his experience in the backs is a key element of the side.
Club stalwart John Patterson said: “The young lads in the team look-up to him and are guided by his knowledge of the game, so we haven’t ben as effective without him.
“There have also been key injuries and absences in the pack so it’s been a poor month in terms of results.”
The Zebras, who lost 26-13 at St. benedict’s last week, have a bit further to go this time – to Fleetwood – and have to make changes again. Ross Dougherty, who made his first senior start at Benny’s after injury, damaged his shoulder and misses out again while senior props Ben Lanigan and Carl Metherell are also absentees.
Player coach Dan Bowman will move into the second row and Chris Herbert gets a start in the back row. The club will have to raid the second team for props.
Chris Davison does returns in the centre while John Chisnall switches to stand-off.
St. Benedict’s now are six points behind the Zebras with three games in hand after last week’s derby win. Tomorrow they travel to Furness.
Coach Ian McQuire had to play last week in the second row for the injured John Connery while an injury to Mark Routledge meant Jamie Jardine moved from prop to hooker. Number eight Stuart Wilson also missed put with injury so Kris Wood played at the back of the pack for the first time in his career – and finished up as man of the match.
McQuire said: “It was a tough, physical contest and the man of the match award could have gone to any of the 15 guys. In the end Kris got it, closely followed by his back row partner Kevin Parr.
“I thought the difference between the two teams was in the backs where we had a bit too much pace for them.
“Hopefully we will have the three forwards back for the trip to Furness but unfortunately we will be missing three backs because of holidays or work commitments.”
Netherhall were comprehensively beaten at home 43-14 by Upper Eden last week and tomorrow are on the road to Eccles.
No games were played in the Cumbria League last week but tomorrow leaders Whitehaven entertain Creighton; Aspatria Eagles are at Gosforth Greengarth; Wigton Wanderers visit Cockermouth; Egremont go to Millom and Moresby have home advantage against Workington Steelers.
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