The outcome for the Firsts had looked so different in the opening twenty minutes when West raced into a 17-0 lead and looking well in control.

Isaac Robinson  set the ball rolling,  taking a neat inside pass from skipper Chris Atkins after just five minutes to go over from the 22,  with Jobe Roxby adding the extras.

Five minutes later it was winger Sam Knight who scored  the first of his well-deserved hat-trick of tries. Hayden Hodgson made ground from inside his own half and, as West piled players in support,  an astute pass from Peter Youll gave Knight the opportunity to outfox  two defenders and he was able to race round to go in behind the posts.

Roxby had the simplest of conversions. He was on target again opting for a 30 metre drop goal as West maintained then pressure - despite having flanker Robinson in the bin for an offside as he tried to break up a Park attack.

It took the home side until the half hour to show what they could do,  and they did it in style taking advantage of a couple of poor tackles,  which gave scrum half Jacob German the space to score from just  inside the West half. Fly half Will Ponton, the son of former West back-row James, adding the conversion.

Roxby responded with a 38 metre penalty,  before Park reduced the arrears after another break from distance. This time the West defence was able to stop the attack close to the line,  but the home forwards had the strength to force their way over with No 8 Leo Caulfield touching down to take the score to 14-20.

That remained the score at the break. However, West had to begin the second half down to 14 men- the influential Jake Linighan yellow carded as he impeded a quick tap penalty as he was getting  from making a tackle.

While he was off the game turned around as Park sored three quick tries. The first from Reekie from close range as Park made the most of forcing two penalties. Two minutes later an intercept from the half-way saw centre Matthew Dunn go under the posts to give his side an eight point lead,  which had looked so unlikely in the first half.

Worse was to quickly come as Park made the most of a disorganised West defence to race through the middle,  with Howard Stock taking the final pass to take that lead  to 15 points.

It was a helter-skelter second half with West taking their turn to keep the scoreboard operator on his toes. From a line-out in the Park 22 Roxby taking the opportunity to put in an excellent cross kick,  which was well taken by Knight to dive over in the corner- just too wide for a successful conversion.

Ponton and Roxby then traded penalty kicks to maintain the 13 point margin but, with a quarter of an hour left on the clock, Park sealed the game and the five points with prop Dan Shuttleworth forcing his way over. Ponton completing  his side’s scoring for the afternoon.

However, West weren’t finished. Knight wanted his hat-trick and his side deserved a try bonus point  for their first half efforts. They got it after Will Hilditch, on for a limping Rob Thorn, broke into the home 22 and looking like he might go all the way. When he  was eventually stopped,  the ball was quickly moved right where Knight was again unstoppable as he headed for the corner.

As the clock ticked down West were still ten points in arrears. With Linighan in fine form in the line-out, they opted for a penalty kick to the corner when a successful shot as goal would have earned a second bonus point.

It looked like the bold decision might have paid off as Linighan took the ball and the pack drove toward the line,  only for referee Yannick Debil to blow for a penalty indicating that something untoward had been said.

It was a lively hard-fought game where the cobwebs of the long hot summer were well and truly blown away. A few things to work on before two home game against newly promoted Ryton and newly relegated Penrith

Percy Park: George Bogg, Dan Jackson, Howard Stock, Matt Dunn, Tom Bird, Will Ponton, Jacob German, Kiran Hope, Dan Shuttleworth, Joe Green, Chris Reekie, Austin Phillips, Jonny Dubois, Matt French, Leo Caulfield.

Reps (all used): Matt Atkkinson, Jake Smith, Heston Floyd

Tries: German, Caulfield, Dunn, Reekie, Shuttleworth, Stock.

Cons: Ponton (6).

Pen: Ponton.

West: Matt Siddle, Sam Knight, Ollie Connolly, Peter Youll, Rob Thorn ,Jobe Roxby,  Matt Baggs, Liam Pennick, Hayden Hodgson, Andrew Rollins, Jake Linighan, Elliott Reed, Charlie Kay, Isaac Robinson, Chris Stkins (capt).

Reps (all used): Jacob Wood, Adam Hutchinson, Will Hilditch.

Tries: Robinson, Knight (3).

Cons: Roxby (3)

Pens: Roxby (2)

Drop Goal: Roxby

Yellow: Robinson, Linighan.

Referee: Yannick Debil (Northumberland)