However, the final emphatic scoreline took us one point clear of Northern to clinch the play-off place and earn the right to host Heath from Yorkshire One on Saturday April 27th.
Wearing their warm-up shirts the lads started tentatively and it took until the tenth minute for us to exert any real pressure.
But when we did patient pressure on the home line was rewarded when the ball was spun out to the right with player coach Stu Waites choosing his moment to send in winger Adam Peacock.
Despite the superiority of the West pack in the scrum, the plentiful horde of visiting supporters had to wait another fifteen minutes for their side to provide some breathing space.
Alex Barker won good line-out ball and once again it was playmaker Waites who provided centre Davy Heckles with the opportunity beat his man from close range.
Waites added the extra to give his side a 12-0 lead, but then missed a simple penalty chance from inside the 22.
However, he was on target just minutes before half time when a series of West attacks spread the home defence - prop Adam Coates running a good line to find a gap some 15 metres out and to glide in untouched under the posts.
If  we thought that was job done Novos had other ideas. They stormed back up the pitch and with the last play of the half burly prop Tom Dias burst through several half-hearted tackles to get his team back in the game.
We began the second half with left winger Max Tennant making a 30-metre burst, but as West mounted their attack Novos relieved the pressure with an interception which took them into the West half.
Winger Nic Bellamy received the ball from the breakdown and once again it was poor tackling which gave him the opportunity to go clear
His own conversion reduced West’s lead to just five point - fortunately it was the visitors who got the next important score.
We forced a series of penalties in the home 22 and opted for scrums with No 8 Scott Butcher touching down as his pack drove over.
Waites’ kick was wide, but with a 12 point cushion the visitor’s noticeably relaxed, and their next score came after a simple move along the backs with full back Southern coming into the line to send Tennant clear.
WaItes’ conversion from the touchline was his best of the afternoon.
However, Novos and Bellamy in particular, were not to be outdone and on a rare foray into the visiting 22 he took advantage after No 8 Sean Ramsay, a handful all afternoon, had forced his way towards the line. Once again he converted his own try to make it 31-21 with ten minutes left.
Undaunted we returned to the attack with  Jake Linighan finishing off a swift passing move up the left to score his third try in three games with Waites converting.
It was all West in the final minutes with Man of the Match Peter Youll bursting through midfield to feed Tennant who was stopped just inches short of the line.
Scott Butcher uncharacteristically “butchered” a chance when he failed to take a pass while clear on the left.
However, Youll finished off the pressure evading two tackles and then reaching out to touchdown (pictured) as he was finally caught with Waites finishing the scoring.
We now have two weeks to prepare for the biggest game of the season.

Novocastrians: David Marshall, Nic Bellamy, Ben Woollerton, Sam Bird, Fraser Green, Rich Harrison, Patrick Sowler, Tom Dias, George Waterhouse, Josh Stacey, Adam, MacDonald, Tom Cox, Alex Cleminson, Stephen Hughes- Narborough, Sean Ramsay (capt).
Reps (all used): Andy Hall, Ben Merrett, Isaac Robinson.
Tries: Dias, Bellamy (2).
Cons: Bellamy (3)

West: Zac Southern, Max Tennant, Davy Heckles, Peter Youll, Adam Peacock, Stu Waites (capt), Matt Siddle, Adam Coates, Andrew Rollins, Michael Hogan, Jake Linighan, Chris Atkins, Alex Barker, Isaac Robinson, Scott Butcher.
Reps (all used): John Bunter, Callum Johnston, Johnny Hunter .
Tries: Peacock, Heckles, Coates, Butcher, Tennant, Linighan, Youll.
Cons: Waites (5)
Referee: Richard Downing (Northumberland)