We travel still in the third place we've occupied for most of the first half - it could have been much better but for a last second penalty last week which sneaked a 23-21 win for second place Durham City.
It’s fine margins like those which will decide who gets promoted from Northumberland and Durham One, so we travel to fourth bottom Gateshead knowing we can’t afford any mistakes.
We had enough pressure in the second half to have sealed the City game, but with another half of the season still to go there’s still plenty to play for.
We end the first half with a strong squad. Second row John Bunter is back from a long holiday and prop Danny Cookland is expected to be fit again, although both Chris Atkins and Andy Turner will be missing.
However, as we go into the second half of the league season, there looks likely to be increased competition for places. Winger-cum-centre Adam Larkin has returned to the club and Michael Hogan, second row-cum-prop, is itching to be back in action in January after his long lay-off after knee surgery. Scott Butcher is also recovering from his badly gashed knee and Rob Thorn is likely to be available more often.
This week Alex Barker comes into the back row and Joe Rafferty into the second row. The other changes are on the bench where Cookland is due to make his return from a foot injury, and he'll sit down alongside a sun-tanned Bunter and young winger Max Tennant who made an impressive debut at Acklam.
West : Zac Southern, Will Hilditch, Gavin Painter, Peter Youll, Calum Johnston, Stu Waites, Ryan Painter (capt), Adam Coates, Andrew Rollins, Jake Linighan, Joe Rafferty, Alex Barker, Isaac Robinson, Jay Corbett.
Changes: Danny Cookland, John Bunter, Max Tennant.