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Both sides were short of a number of players who were still enjoying their summer hols, but the hosts were sharper at the breakdown, had some elusive runners, and in back rows Alastair Burgess and Austen Thompson had two excellent ball carriers.
Andrew Foreman was our main attacking threat, but it was old stager Davy Tighe who made our only try for Andrew Cheslin who started the game in place of Adam Larkin who cried off on Friday.
Playing up the slope and into the wind in the first half we did remarkably well considering the amount of ball Sandal enjoyed - much of it becuase of turnovers.
We might have gone ahead in the fourth minute if there had been more support when Andrew Foreman made a break but the chance went begging.
Instead, we learnt another harsh lesson at this level where Refs are quicker to penalise offences with yellow cards. Andrew Cheslin was perhaps slightly harshly dealt with when he was sinbinned for a deliberate knock on as he stretched out a hand to intercept on his own 22. If he'd caught the ball he might have raced clear to score a breakaway - if he hadn't touced the ball Sandal may have scored in the corner.
What did happen was that the Cheslin twin enjoyed ten minutes rest and debut home full back Mark Pease, signed from Morley, slotted the first of a number of superb kicks.
The same player added another penalty on the half hour from in front of the posts after we were penalised for handling in a ruck.
That was the score at half time and it wasn't a bad return for some honest endeavour. Could we use the slope and the breeze to open our game up in the second half? Not often enough proved to be the answer.
Sandal went further ahead on 50 minutes with another excellent kick from the touchline to make it 9-0 but then came the first try of the game and it was from a spell of pressure in the home 22. The ball went left and Davy Tighe dummied to go for a gap and instead sent in Ches on the corner flag.
To those of us near the corner there was a hint of a foward pass, but Northumberland ref Mike Barker made the award. Gav Robinson was only just wide with his conversion.
Things perhaps evened themselves out shortly aftwerards when Gav Robinson sent Tom Dixon away. The lock had Andrew Cheslin outside him and a try was looking a formality but play was brought back for a forward pass, which had gone completely unnoticed by those closest to it including some vociferous home supporters in the stand.
The next score was the crucial one - but it didn't go against the run of play. Gav Robinson was in the sin-bin for going off his feet when Pease again struck from the touchline to make it 12-5.
Sandal were continuing to press and keep the West defence working hard. The pressure finally paid off for them on 64 minutes when right winger Jake Mulhern went in at the corner - no doubt helped by the continued absence of Robinson.
We had lost Gareth Eddy, who together with Chris Atkins had enjoyed an encouraging debut. Eddy was led from the field looking dazed and was replaced by Chocky Davies.
This time Pease missed, but he made amends on 72 minutes with another pen before prop James Purcell finished off a forwards drive in the corner on 78 minutes to make it 25-5.
Sandal delivered a dose of reality. It will be interesting how much of the lesson we have learnt by the time we face each other again at Brinkburn in the last game of the season
Sandal: Mark Pease, Jake Mulhern, Stef Lig, Andy Hall, Dave Martin, Dan McCormack [captain], Gareth Newman, Hames Purcell, Jamie Heron, Rob Norbury, James Riley, Rob Overton, James Stewart, Alastair Burgess, Austen Thompson. Reps: Ash Norbury, Josh Ferguson, Tom Smth.
West: Colin Cheslin[Darren Thomas 65], Scott Butcher, Luke Watson, Gav Robinson, Andrew Cheslin, Davy Tighe, Andrew Foreman, Anth Carr, Andrew Dixon, Adam Coates [Ross Wood 65], Gareth Eddy [Andrew Davies 57], Tom Dixon, Dan Boatman [c], Chris Atkins, Stephen Stockdale. Reps: Ross Wood, Dave Garside, Andrew Cheslin