And it was the visitors who took the lead; Ian Smith giving early warning of his afternoon's intentions, penalising Hornets for an innocuous 'high tackle' which was dispatched by Kirkbride.

Hornets struck back almost immediately. Radney Bowker prised open the defence and slotted Jon Roper in to score on 10 minutes. Mick Nanyn added the extras. But on 15 minutes there were signs of the lax defense that would haunt Hornets throughout the second half - Broadbent ducking through flapping arms to score; Kirkbride converted; 8-6 to 'Haven.

On the quarter Hornets took a lead that they wouldn't relinquish - smart passing topped by Mick Nanyn's try. Three minutes later a moment of Bowker/Larder magic - Radney's defence-splitting pass, Dave's 40 metre break - dummying and drawing the fullback before slipping a perfect pass outside for Roper to sprint through and score.

With Hornets 18-8 up, the home fans sat back and waited for the deluge - but 'haven had other ideas.

Having driven the ball close to the Hornets line, Whitehaven played their joker. The tackled player walked two yards forward off the mark, played the ball; Ian Smith fell for it, gave Hornets offside and Leroy Joe sneaked in by the post. Shocking, really.

18-14 at the break and Hornets still looking the better bet for the win - Haven's only answers the strong running and offloading of Fatialofa and the perpetual niggling of butter-fingered Howard Hill.

The second half started perfectly. Richard Pachniuk's huge break through the centre of a slow-turning 'Haven defence set up Ian Watson's shoo-in. But Haven got lucky.

Leroy Joe's last tackle dink through the line came back into his hands and quick passing sent winger Wood in to score. Kirkbride's extras brought 'Haven to within four points.

So Hornets started again. The forwards drove 'Haven back down the field; Southern dummied his way through the line, handed on to Matt Leigh who sucked in tacklers; Southern went back for the return pass and scored a deserved try. Nanyn added the extras.

Four minutes later came the monent that brought the crowd to its feet. Marlon BIlly took a pass from acting hgalf on his own 20 metre line, bursted the tackle and sprinted fully 80 metres, leaving a trail of gasping, flailing Cumbrians in his wake to score. It was a magnificent effort and, with the conversion extending Hornets' lead to 34-20, seemed plenty enough to kill off the vistitors. But wait...

Having succeeded with the joker move in the first half, 'Haven thought it worth another go. Sice walked off the mark; Smith blew for offside; Sice tapped the ball to himself and plonked it over the line. Ugly, but effective.

And it was Sice again five minutes later whose weaving run through Hornets' doily defence set up Lester for a simple try. The conversion hauled the visitors back to 34-32 and sphincters began to twitch.

But Hornets dug deep. Concerted pressure close to the 'Haven line looked to have fizzled out until Radney Bowker refused to be tackled and, as he went bouncing down the defensive line, he found an equally determined David Larder who capped a man-of-the-match performance with a blockbusting try.

Nanyn needed the conversion to make 'Haven score twice and he duly obliged from wide out.

But, with typical defiance, Leroy Joe sneaked in for a converted try at the death, but it was way too late to matter. The final hooter signalled an expression of breath-gasping relief and both sides left the field to a standing ovation.

Hally was magnanimous in his view of the afternoon's proceedings: "(Whitehaven) could have sneaked it at the end, but we did just enough on the day. Just about deserved it without playing particularly well. All credit to Whitehaven, they never lay down and kept coming at us."

But we suspect that underneath he was fuming. Slack around the ruck and sloppy in application, a better team would have exploited Hornets defensive lapses to far greater effect.

With Hull KR winding up nicely for their tilt at glory, it's back to the tackling bags if we're going to go any further.