Nathan went down with a neck injury after just ten minutes. All due precautions were taken while an ambulance was summoned to take him to Dryburn Hospital. The excellent news today is that he had a CT scan and was given the all clear with his father arriving in the early hours to take him home.

With the West pack dominant he wasn't the only Westoe front row to have to leave the field and, with a regular procession of stocky lads limping off, the game went to uncontested scrums early in the second half.

One of our major weapons was removed, buty it didn't deter us from going on to score two more tries. They were as notable as the two in the first half. In a game which was scrappy and stop start at times, all four were well executed with the backs showing the recent confidence - due in no small part to a superb game from Stu Waites who regularly found the gaps.

We set our stall out after just seven minutes with a sweeping backs move when  Ryan Painter broke up the right.  Luke Mallinson picked up when he was tackled and quick hands along the backs opened up the Westoe defence with Zac Southern going over from five metres.

His conversion attempt hit the post-  and with a swirling wind it was the closest he was to come to scoring with his boot all night.

We lost Sam Miller to the sin bin after ten minutes when he was judged to  have been reckless at the same maul where Nathan Peel was injured although the two incidents were not related.

Then came the thirty minute stoppage for the injury to Peel, but it didn’t put us off our stride and we continued to play the game in the Westoe half despite being down to 14 men.

Such was the pressure that Westoe flanker Robert Lamb was sin-binned for killing the ball as we attacked .

Inevitably the pressure told with Stu Waites beating Westoe’s rush defence to cut inside inside and send Peter Youll galloping for the posts. He was tackled just short but offloaded to Ryan Painter who gleefully dived in at the corner to give us a 10-0 lead at the break.

We should have extended that lead just after the break when Waites again broke through the midfield. He chipped over the heads of the covering defenders but was tripped as he chased into the 22.

Instead of opting for a relatively easy penalty we went for a scrum and - despite making the same choice twice more -  Westoe fought desperately the danger was eventually cleared.

They South Shields side were tackling desperately at times with the result that hooker Grant Walker followed his fellow props in having to leave the pitch.

We then lost prop Ian Pinchen, playing his last game before returning to Rovers next season. He went to  sin-bin and more indiscipline saw Ryan Painter kick the ball away from a penalty award. The extra ten metres gave Luke Moffatt the chance to put his side just one score behind West.

Westoe did have a brief flourish only to be knocked back  time and again by the sharp tackling of Liam Bailey and his fellow back rows.

As a result it was West who moved back up the pitch. We took their opportunity when a long range penalty from Southern fell short but was knocked on by full back Sam Hughes.

The West forwards picked up and drove at the opposition line but Westoe managed to get possession and kick clear only for Luke Mallinson to take possession.

He raced up the right wing and his kick infield was chased down by a lightning quick Liam Bailey. He was tackled five metres short but Jack Angus was in support to collect and go over in the corner to give us a 12 point lead.

That looked to be the winning score until the dynamic Chris Atkins intercepted just outside his own 22. He sprinted upfield to feed Bailey who took the ball on into the Westoe half. Unfortunately his pass just eluded Stu Waites who would have been away.

But we were not to be denied and came straight back with a move which saw Southern break up the right wing. He found Luke Mallinson with the winger outpacing the defence to score the final try of the night.

It was a fitting end to a sometimes difficult season, but one where youth was given its head and the club is now reaping the benefits.

West: Zac Southern, Luke Mallinson, Greg Edwards, Peter Youll, Scott Butcher, Stu Waites, Ryan Painter, Ian Pinchen, Andrew Rollins, Adam Coates,  Owen   Bennett, Chris Atkins, Liam Bailey, Dan Boatman (c), Sam Miller. 

Reps all used: Ross Wood, Jack Angus, Carl Miller, Alex Barker, Michael Hogan, Matt Tyers, Luke Chapman

Tries: Southern, Painter, Angus, Mallinson.

Yellow: Sam Miller, Pinchen.

Westoe: Sam Hughes, Lewis Hagan, James Clar5k, John Irving, Ben Roberts, Luke Moffatt, Matt Mellish, Nathan Peel, Grant Walker, Raymie Elliott, John Younghusband, Sam Gaff, Paul Evans, Robert Lamb, Joe McKenzi4e.

Reps (all used): Brian Pope, Jordan McKay, Tim Pickersgill, James Sant, Chris Laycock, Michael Tait, Morgan Lowry.

Pens: Luke Moffatt

Yellow: Lamb.

Referee: Carl Hall