For West Jonathan Norris, Andrew Robson and Tom Dixon were fit and available, but Sean Cairns and Aaron Myers were on holiday and with the Falcons respectively, and Tom Dougherty and Peter Dewhirst were still out with injuries sustained in the Wharfedale match. Nic Miller came into the back row, with Chris Martin and Moss in at scrum half and centre.

Yet again West started the match poorly, repeating the errors of the Wharfedale game. Passes were not finding their target, and a run of penalties (six in the first fifteen minutes) gave Moortown possession and territory. From one of the penalties Maycock scored from in front of the posts, and from another the Yorkshire side secured a line-out which led to centre Wall running through some poor tackles to give Moortown an early 8-0 lead.

West gradually came more into the game, but never really threatened the Moortown line, and Moortown looked threatening when breaking out. West’s defence, to their credit, prevented any more scores, and West went into the second half still only two scores down.

With the team looking lethargic, coach Steve Barker made a number of substitutions at half-time, but for the first ten minutes the tactic seemed to have backfired, as West struggled to find any rhythm. Gradually, however, they began to play themselves back into the game, with penetrating kicks from Gavin Robinson and Moss forcing Moortown back, and putting them under pressure. Now it was Moortown’s turn to concede penalties, and Moss scored two from distance (with a narrow miss in between) to close the gap to two points. A third successful kick put West into a lead that had earlier looked unlikely.

Moortown came back, and besieged the West line, but some superb defence held firm, and the match ended with West deep in Moortown’s half. A tremendous fightback, setting the scene nicely for next Sunday’s home game against Doncaster.

Bellerby (Evens); Short, Lambert, Moss, Austin (Wager); Robinson, Martin; Forrest (Wood), Norris (Richardson), Greenwell; Robson, Hunt; Barker, Millar, Dixon. Non=playing subs: Close, Painter