The firsts had an interesting journey through rural Yorkshire but managed to arrive before Ross Wood and Stu Waites who had decided to come by car. Unfortunately, the traffic police felt they had to interrupt their journey and they arrived five minutes after kick off.

Ross then came on as replacement and lasted less than five minutes before suffering a rib injury. He'd come on for Adam Coates who seemed to suffer an allergic reaction which needed the attention of the Bradford & Bingley doctor.

Luke Watson was also missing for most of the second half while both club physios tried to straighten his dislocated nose.

To add to all that we lost three players to yellow cards, and were bested by a powerful home pack which finished the game with a Romanian, Georgian and Kiwi in the front row.  

Fortunately, Paul Moss had travelled as replacement and the No. 10 he went on to kick four penalties. Scrum half Ryan Painter also had a fine game, but with West pack distinctly second best in the scrums they were feeding off scraps. No 8 Michael Taylor also did a valiant job in cleaning up possession.

We had the benefit of the strong wind blowing straight down the Aire valley in the first half and went ahead on two minutes when Moss got the first of his penalties.

The Bees came straight back and scored their first try of the afternoon when they opted for a scrum instead of a penalty shot at goal. Richard Scull going on the short side and running in virtually unopposed from 20 metres. Winger Gavin Stead converted.

We lost centre Andrew Cheslin to a yellow card on 19 minutes and two minutes later Chocky joined him for going off his feet.

Moss pulled three points back with another penalty but the shortage of numbers out wide allowed home left winger Giles Hetherington in at the corner.

Moss stroked another fine penalty on 37 minutes. Then right on the whistle Bees skipper Guy Ford touched down after the pack pushed West back over the line. Stead's conversion went in off the post to make it 19-9 at the break.

We had a mountain to climb in the second half playing into the gale and an increasing number of hail showers.

Our best passage of play came on 55 minutes when we worked doggedly to take the ball from our own line into the home 22. Consistent pressure forced a penalty which Moss converted to make it 19-12.

Sadly that was the end of the resistance from the visitors.  Dan Boatman was yellow carded for infringing as he desperately tried to keep the home side out and the Bees exerted concerted pressure on the West line which resulted in a penalty try which was converted

Then with five minutes left Ford again finished off as the home scrum forced West back over their own line.

Thank goodness we have some home games coming up.

 Bradford & Bingley: Tom Kanauros, Gavin Stead, Richard Tafa, Ben Greaves, Giles Hetherington, Tom Bills, ichard Scull, Jason Moss [Eddie Peglau 75], Giorgi Lomtadze, Ryan Wederell, Richard Hughes, Brett Mitchell, Martyn Mitchell, Tom Cokell, Guy Ford. Reps: Joe Fawcett, Steve Brimacombe.

Tries: Ford[2] Hetherington, Scull. Pen Try.

Conversions: Stead (3)

Yellow cards: Peglau (78)

West Hartlepool: Colin Cheslin, Greg Edwards, Andrew Cheslin, Luke Watson [Stu Waites (50), Scott Butcher, Paul Moss, Ryan Painter, Anth Carr, Liam Bailey Adam Coates,Ross Wood (70), Ben Lloyd (Michael Hogan 70), Andrew Davies, Dan Boatman, Jon Boatman, Michael Taylor.

Pens: Moss (4)

Yellow cards: Andrew Cheslin, Andrew Davies, Dan Boatman.

Ref: Brendan McGaffney