Hull have packed their side with Welshmen and a few Kiwis, and all are widely experienced and well travelled. By contrast only Brett, Davy Tighe and Stu Bennett could claim to match them in years and experience - especially with Tim Sawyer away helping England Deaf beat the Welsh.

The visitors started the strongest but it was West who took the lead. We fought our way back up the left touchline and had Hull defending desperately in the corner. From a ruck Stu Bennett made a great run for the line,but Davy Tighe opted to whip the ball out and Allan Milne managed to force himself over beside the posts.

Hull came back with full back Martinson looking dangerous every time he touched the ball and he finished off a break to go in under the posts.

Then left winger Leroy Mackenzie got the try of the game. From fully 60 metres out he took off like a rocket and cut inside a despairing challenge from Martin Todd to score under the posts.

Mackenzie is the fatsest player see on Brinkburn in many a long while and it is too the credit of Paul Miller, who was making his debut on the right wing, that the leading scorer only got one run-in all afternoon.

We came back with two penalties from Davy Tighhe and at 13-14 at the break the game was well set up.

But the turning point came when Henry Tones had to hobble off to be replaced by Chris Cook who was making his debut. The Army Lance Corporal has not yet had a chance to get to know the West lads and, at his first scrum, we were wheeled to make space for Martinson to open our midfield and race in from 30 metres. Cooky quickly adpated to his new surroundings and looks a likely prospect.

Hull then added another with the right winger coming in from his wing and darting through the fly half channel.

West were still fighting and we were given new hope when Hull brought on Rod Latham at prop. He hadn't touched the ball when were awarded a penalty. Darren tapped and went but Latham was judged to have stopped him with a professional foul and was yellow carded. He disagreed to the extent where refereee Steve Havery decided to make it a red.

We were still throwing the ball out wide at every opportunity but were cosntantly thwarted by the defensive qualities of the Hull back line. That was until Paul Miller took his chance after Hodgy fed him wide on the right. Miller had already had two similar runs for the corner,only to be caught at the last minute, but this time he evaded the cover. An inspired Davy Tighe managed the touchline conversion to make it20-26 and all to play for.

One of Hull's Welsh forwards likened the last ten minutes to being "like Rorke's Drift - they were coming from all sides."

Unfortunately those last minutes were played in our half as Hull hung onto the ball, and we tried to run it from deep in the hope of a matchwinning breakaway under the posts. It wasn't to be.

We now go to much improved Sandal but may have injury problems. Stu Bennett went off with a calf injury, to be replaced by Michael Geritz, and Paul Moss had to come on for Darren Thomas who celebrates his 21st birthday today [Sunday]. He wasn't given the present he hoped for but he will be happy nontheless.

The Stags lsot a hard fought game to Rovers Heughers by 14-17.