It had all started so brightly. We were on top for the first 20 minutes, denying the home side any possesion, and opting to kick the penalties as our pressure forced mistakes. Davy Tighe kicked two, on 6 and 10 minutes, but missed a relatively easy one on 9 minutes.
Horden, knowing they needed a win if they were to have any chance of avoiding relegation, looked to be on the way out. Perhaps if we'd manged the try that our pressure deserved there may have been no way back for them.
But, instead of pressing our advantage, we gifted them a penalty on 18 minmutes after Allan Milne backchatted the ref and put the on-from Andrew Turner within kicking distance.
It should have been a case of "OK let's get back into their 22" but our heads went down and Horden's went up - specially when Turner got another penlaty on 23 minutes to make it 6-9.
Jonny Boatman was a trifle unlucky to be yellow carded for a high tackle but Horden got even stronger with a try from Pink in the corner on 37 minutes. The home side's tails were up and we managed to grant them two more penalties just on half time.
The coaches frustration with the turn of events saw Stu Bennett sent on against his old side with the instruction to get the lads back onto the game plan. An unhappy Tim Sawyer was the man he replaced.
At 17-9 down at half time the game shouldn't have been over. But the discipline of the first 20 minutes never returned and Horden comfortably ran in two more tries through fly-half McCourt on 58 and 76 minutes, with Turner adding another penalty on 62. We had one break up the left wing by Andrew Hare, after good work by Martin Todd, but never really looked like crossing the line.
Allan Milne was also sin binned mid way through the half for a high tackle.
So we are still nervously looking over our shoulders as the scrap for relegation places hots up. Fortunately, it is completely in our own hands. Get two more points and we are safe. It would be nice to get them in the last home game against Driffield next Saturday and then we can all relax.
Horden
T Turnbull, C Purvis, P Bruce, P Priestley, R White, A Turner, L watson, M Thompson, W McDoswell, G Davidson, M Thubron, P Armstrong, R Pink, A Temple, G Tait. Reps: K Hartley, C Gilmour, D Palmer.The West which beat Westoe and Malton is perfectly capable of securing safety at Horden. The one which has failed to get a point south of the River Tees isn't.
West Todd, Thomas, Hodgson, Milne, Hare, Wallis [Hauxwell 65], Tighe [capt], Cholmondeley, Carr, Davies [Henderson 76], Rudd, Sawyer [Bennett 39], Tones, J Boatman.