Not for the first time this season a winning position slipped away and this time it was all in the space of 30 seconds 7 minutes into the second half. Moments earlier Adam Howard was yellow carded and just as a Rossendale attack looked to have been snuffed out a missed tackle allowed flanker Matt MacKenzie to slip through and score under the posts, Arno DeJager converting. From the restart Danny Collins brushed off the tacklers, powering all the way up to the home 22 before slipping the ball to DeJager to finish and tie the scores.

The first half had been an entirely different story with West dominating and limiting the visitors to a handful of visits to the 22. DeJager had missed an early penalty attempt but Tom Wilson finished off a Jon Boatman break for the opening try on 25 minutes to give West the lead. Rossendale seemed to be on the end of referee Wayne Falla's whistle and when prop Ian Marshall was sin-binned West took advantage, Jamie Connolly breaking a tackle to go in under the posts just before half time.

A second yellow card gave West a great opportunity to extend the lead in first half injury time but despite kicking a penalty to the corner they couldn't get over the line.

After the scores were tied the discipline problems also reversed, West now on the end of a string of penalties and it seemed inevitable Rossendale would take the lead which they eventually did through MacKenzie's second try on the hour. DeJager converted for a 19-12 advantage.

West did fightback in the closing stages and had chances to level the scores again but losses of the ball in contact proved costly. A losing bonus will be no consolation especially with Cleckheaton winning to leapfrog West in the table.

Inexperience may be one of the reasons West can't hold on in these games – today's starting lineup featured 5 players 21 or under and another 4 yet to reach their 25th birthday – but it's not only the younger players making poor decisions under pressure. On the positive side for West the Boatman brothers stood out in the loose making some good breaks and recent recruit Luke Watson looked lively when he replaced Harry Readhead at scrum-half. But results are what matter and with three away games coming up, starting with second-place Stockport next time out, things aren't going to get any easier.


West: Wilson, Butcher, Hodgson, Connolly, A Cheslin, G Robinson, Readhead (Watson), Carr, Sawyer, C Robinson (Garside), T Dixon (Davies), D Boatman, Howard, J Boatman, Rudd.

Tries: Wilson, Connolly
Con: G Robinson
Sin-bin: Howard

Rossendale: Dennison, Rigby, Harper, Albinson, Bingham, DeJager, Bramhall, Short, Keys, Marshall, Fourie, Healey, MacKenzie, Collins, Pole.
Reps: Taylor, Goosen, Harrison

Tries: MacKenzie 2, DeJager
Cons: DeJager 2
Sin-bin: Marshall, Rigby

Referee: Wayne Falla