The final score flatters West a little but they did have the better of a scrappy, stop-start game, Horden creating few real scoring opportunities and it always seemed it was only a matter of time for West to clinch the game. But the colliery men will be pleased to have a had a run-out with a promotion campaign ahead in 2006.

West started with Boxing Day substitute wingers Danny Weegram and Chris Lambert in the backs and gave first team debuts to Dave Garside and Jon Norris in the forwards.

The first score came after 13 minutes when, with Horden attacking on half way, fly-half Andrew Turner took too long over his pass and Peter Hodgson made an easy interception to race in under the posts with Wallis converting. Turner made some amends with a long penalty 4 minutes later but saw another effort on 30 minutes come back off the post, perhaps justly as it seemed the Horden talisman had held on after being tackled.

Half time came and went with the referee’s whistle beginning to dominate the game. Both sides just missed out on tries when first Horden spilt the ball with the try line in sight and then Chris Lambert raced in only to be called back for a foot in touch.

West introduced Davy Tighe and Andrew Davies to try and seal the game but it was again Hodgson who scored the clincher with 68 minutes gone. Running a nice line off Phil Wallis, the stand off slipped the perfect pass to leave Hodgson running untouched to the line to score his second under the posts.

With the game done and dusted West added two further tries, first the individual effort from Lambert who, picking up the ball on half way, skipped past several defenders before turning on the pace and leaving the rest of the defence for dead and then Paul Rudd charged in after good running from Darren Thomas and Hodgson.

With all the tries under the sticks Phil Wallis had no problems with the four conversions and the result further helps West build on their good recent form and they couldn’t travel to Morpeth on Saturday in much better condition. With the forwards consisting of only one member of the Boxing Day side it proves West now enjoy tremendous strength in depth and some good January results would see them make ground on the leaders in North Two East.

Horden competed for the majority of the game and will take some positives out of it having spoilt a lot of West ball and tackled well for most of the game. Hopefully this fixture will return to the league list come next season.


West: Thomas, Lambert, Edwards, Hodgson, Weegram (Todd), Wallis, Williamson (Tighe), Cullinane, Norris, Robinson, Garside, Henderson, Rudd, Tones, Miller (Bennett).

Tries: Hodgson 2, Lambert, Rudd
Con: Wallis 4

Horden: Foreman, Cox, Grand, Priestly, Purvis, Turner, Watson, Thompson, McDowell, Davidson, Palmer, Paul, Heckles, Temple, Gilmour

Pen: Turner

Referee: Dave Sawyer (Durham Society)