Stu had already hit the post twice, and missed an easier penalty from wide on the right, but as a hush descended on Brinkburn he strode up to coolly slot the kick from just five meters inside the touchline.

It was a victory we just about deserved after a dominant first half performance from a side missing a host of first team regulars.

The virgin second row of Chris Atkins and Joe Rafferty was particularly impressive in the early stages, with Rafferty eventually having to go off in the second half after damaging a shoudler as he was brought down during a rampaging run.

 We had got off to the best possible start when Zac Southern scored under the posts after just six minutes. The fly half  had jinked passed  the defence just ten metres out and seemed to have the line at his mercy, but opted to pass inside to Peter Youll.  However, a Sheffield defender got his hand to the ball and Southern was the quickest to react to the loose ball and gratefully collected to dive over.

The visitors came back with a try for right winger Rupert Broadley after twenty minutes. There appeared to be little danger, as the Sheffield backs ran the ball out on the half way line, until a deft kick behind the West defence bounced kindly for the speeding winger and he raced in at the corner. 

Full back Andy Hodgson missed the kick, and then Waites his the post for the first time with a penalty from the left of the sticks before Sam Miller extended the West lead.

Concerted pressure in the visiting 22 produced some stern words from referee Barrett Aldwinckle for Sheff skipper Tommy Marples before we opted for a scrum from a penalty ten metres out. The young No 8 picked up and was unstoppable as he made for the line. Waites again hit the post with his kick.

The home forwards continued to dominate and the third try was looking more and more likely. It came just before the break when a rolling maul took us deep into the 22 with Ryan Painter making a break.

When he was tackled Peter Youll stepped in at scrum half. He opted to go on the short side where Coates and Miller were lurking, and it was Sam who showed a  quick burst of speed to go in at the corner. This time Waites converted his most difficult effort of the half to make it 19-5 at the turnaround.

It looked a try bonus victory was on the cards but Sheffield had other ideas. Neither side could get their line-out throws accurate, and the game became increasingly scrappy with a notable feature being our inability to make touch with clearance kicks.

Both Rafferty and Painter were lost to injury early in the half with 18 year old Luke Chapman coming on for his league debut in the second row, and Darren Thomas, coming on for his umpteenth,  replacing Painter at scrum half.

Sheffield reduced the arrears with a penalty before scoring their second try of the afternoon. Once again a line-out didn't look straight but you could hardly blame Mr Aldwinckle for giving up on the cause. The ball was sped out along the backs and Broadley brushed off a tackle from Stu Waites to go in at the corner to make it 19-13 and, most importantly, put the visitors within one score of the lead.

Waites had an opportunity to put some more daylight between the sides, but his 70th minute penalty from wide on the right was wide.

With so little experience on the pitch for West  there was an uneasy feeling that the visitors might pull off an unlikely victory - and they almost did.

Again a contentious line-out throw on the right saw the ball flashed along the Sheffield backs with Tom Womack running a good line to take ball just outsidse the West 22. He shrugged off the all important first tackle and finished off in style under the posts to set up an easy conversion, and give his side a one point lead.

The West supporters didn't have long to feel despondent. From the restart we showed some renewed energy and a high tackle earned that penalty. The way things had gone for Stu you could see the ball once again hitting the post, but this time, with the pressure well and truly on, he made no mistake.

There was time for a restart, and when we punted the ball out to end the game there was an unfortunate contretemps between Jack Angus and replacement Don Ramundson which saw them both red carded.

Angus will know his fate when the RFU Disciplinary Panel meets on Thursday [September 11th].

West: Stu Waites, Matt Tyers, Andrew Cheslin, Peter Youll, Luke Mallinson, Zac Southern, Ryan Painter [ Darren Thomas 45], Jack Angus, Andrew Rollins, Adam Coates, Joe Rafferty [Luke Chapman 45, Chris Atkins, Alex Barker, Dan Boatman [capt], Sam Miller. Reps Not used: Ross Wood.

 Tries: Zac Southern, Sam Miller [2].

Cons: Stu Waites [2]

Pens: Stu Waites [1]

Red Card: Jack Angus.

Sheffield: Andy Hodgson, Rupert Broadley, Joe McHale, Rob Conville, Dan Williams, Ben Parker, Rob Sturman, Tommy Marples [capt], Dave Kerr, Ali Walls, Ryan Seabright, Alex Fawdry, Dave Bradshaw, Tom Womack, Johnny France. Reps: Dom Ramsden, Ben Whitney, Alistair Womack.

 Tries: Broadley [2],  Womack.

Cons: Hodgson [1]

Pens: Hodgson [1]

Yellow: Tom Womack

Red: Dom Ramundson

 Referee: Mr Barrett Aldwinckle [Durham Society]