We were trailing by just three points and defending a rolling maul in their 22 when several Alnwick players broke off and trundled towards the try line unopposed.
Stu Waites, who had been standing off tackled the man with the ball, but referee Matt Astle bemused both sets of supporters by ruling that the maul had been intact and Waites had acted illegally.
The easy conversion gave the hosts a ten point winning margin with no time left for a restart.
A lightning start saw Alnwick score their first try after just two minutes -lively outside centre Ali Gray going over in the corner after his pack had turned the ball over on the West 22.
The home side were having most of the play, despite playing into the strong breeze, and they went further ahead with penalty from full back James Bird – the captain of the Newcastle Falcons Academy side.
We struggled for possession and had to wait until the 15th minute for the first refereeing decision in their favour.
It signalled some better play with Luke Mallinson breaking through the centre only for Eldon Myers to knock on.
Southern had the first opportunity for away points, but his penalty from fully 45 metres was just short.
Both sides were trying to play enterprising rugby in tricky conditions, and Myers was unlucky when he chased a Waites kick only to be penalised for tackling centre Frank Hutchinson without the ball. The Alnwick player had misjudged the bounce completely, and if Myers had gambled he would have been clean through.
The home backs were always a threat with their pace, but it was Peter Youll who almost broke through with a strong run up the right wing but once again West’s handling let the down and the ball was knocked on.
Southern did reduce the arrears on the half hour when Alnwick second row Oli Sutheran was yellow carded for not releasing as West forced their way into the home 22.
However, we were unable to take advantage of his absence, and it was Alnwick who scored right on the break when winger Ben Foy went in at the left corner after Ali Gray had once again tore a hole in the visiting defence.
At 13-3 down at half time we faced the prospect of playing up the hill and into the breeze.
Our line-out was not functioning as it had done in the win over Driffield the previous week, and unusually we'd been shoved off several of our own balls in the scrum.
The reaction was to take the game to the hosts with Eldon Myers getting his second try for the club after 47 minutes.
West had probed first up the left then the right, and when Luke Mallinson was tackled in the right hand corner the ball was recycled left where Myers was able to pick up and go through a gap.
Southern reduced the arrears to just three points. The margin stayed the same and both he and Bird slotted penalties before a superb game changing try from Alnwick’s Peter Moralee.
It came as we attacked up the right wing. A kick through from Ryan Painter bounced up invitingly for attackers Zac Southern and Luke Mallinson, but it was Moralee who reacted first to grab the ball and set off on a 60 metre burst.
He rounded Stu Waites before outpacing the covering defence of Peter Youll and Scott Butcher.
It was a bitter blow. However, we continued to fight and were boosted when prop Ben Bootham was yellow carded for infringing at the scrum.
This time West did manage to score with a superb long range penalty into the wind from Southern putting the visitors just one score behind.
Southern then put the sides level after Mallinson had broken up the right wing. The West forwards pressed on the home line and as the defenders were sucked in the ball went left where second row Owen Bennett was waiting to time his pass to send Southern in for the try.
Alnwick took just two minutes to regain the lead when we were penalised at the breakdown just outside the 22.
And it looked as though the score would remain that way until that penalty try.
We now have just two home games left – against Pocklington and Percy Park – and they may well decide the course of our season.
Alnwick: James Bird, Ben Foy, Ali Gray, Frank Hutchinson, Rory Mallaburn, Callum Burn, Peter Moralee, Richard Elliott, Harry Sordy, Been Boothman , Josh Burgess, Oli Sutheran, Matt Grey, James Hamilton, Ben Gothorp.
Reps (all used) James Grey, Rob Thompson, Iain Gray.
Tries: A Gray, Foy, Moralee, pen. try.
Cons: Bird (2)
Pens: Bird (3)
Yellow: Sutheran, Boothman.
West: Zac Southern, Scott Butcher, Eldon Myers, Peter Youll, Luke Mallinson, Stu Waites, Ryan Painter, Ross Wood, Andrew Rollins, Adam Coates, Owen Bennett, Joe Rafferty, Jay Corbett, Dan Boatman (c), Sam Miller.
Reps(all used): Jack Angus, Michael Hogan, Kyle Jamieson
Tries: Myers, Southern.
Cons: Southern (2)
Pens: Southern (3)
Referee: Matt Astle (Northumberland)