This point arrived for Gary Thornton after 55 minutes as the left hand goalpost and crossbar dramatically wobbled out of position and collapsed onto the Mount Pleasant turf.

Up to that point (and despite an early try from Langley), Batley had been decidedly second best as they struggled to contain an enthusiastic Hornets side superbly marshalled around the field by Gary Hulse and Phil Hasty.

Playing up the hill, Hornets cancelled put the early deficit on 15 minutes. A break from Phil Hasty found Chiris Giles in support; Giles handed on to Eric Andrews and went back for the return pass to score. Kev King converted - Batley reverted to type, niggling and sprawling at every opportunity in an attempt to slow Hornets down.

But Hornets stuck to the task. Svabic made the most of a thwarted attack with a drop goal and Kev King gratefully slotted a penalty to stretch Hornets' lead.

Having decided that there was little ground to be taken up the middle, Batley shipped the ball wide and found a chink of hope. Firstly Clemie made a half-break and was wrapped up well by Nick Johnson; then Gallagher's break came to nought as he was bundled into touch on the second tackle.

Half time 9-4 to Hornets and the visitors well on top.

Hornets started the second half in determoned mood. Hulse and Hasty continued to torment Batley round the rucks; Tommy Goulden's direct running had defenders back pedalling and Simon Svabic's boot drove the Bulldogs back down the slope. As Hornets began to gain momentum, Batley conceded consecutive penalties and Kev King converted both to take Hornets 13-4 clear.

Then came the game's crucial moment. Hornets were on the attack; Batley were stretched and scrambling. Batley conceded a penalty for stupidity - and then the post came crashing down.

While concerned ground staff brought a selection of ladders, tools and stern looks, the game was halted for 17 minutes and the teams retired to the sheds.

A bit of Heath-Robinson invention saw the post driven back into the ground and the cross-bar realligned. But the break had worked in Batley's favour. Hornets' momentum had been disipated; Gary Thornton had had a chance to re-group his troops and, as Darren Abram said afterwards Hornets "... lost focus completely...".

Kev King hit the penalty wide and Batley saw that as a signal to play some football. With Hornets now struggling to regain their shape, Batley turned to an aerial bombardment to put the visitors' line under pressure. With a series of bombs crashing down on the Hornets defence, the onrushing Bulldogs attack gained confidence; and on the back of a repeat set, Watson took advantage of a stretched defence to score. Gordon converted and Batley were back in the hunt at 13-10.

The Batley barrage continued, but twice Hornets almost made them pay. The first occasion, Phil Hasty snaffled an interception on the Hornets ten metre line and pinned his ears back for the opposite end. Outpacing the chasers, he looked pretty much certain to win the race, but a last ditch ankle tap by Lindsay saw him clatter into the corner flag.

On Batley's next attack, the hoisted another towering bomb. This time it was Eric Andrews who gathered well and scythed through the Batley line. With open field in fron of him, referee Dawber called him back, giving a somewhat dubious penalty to the home side for - our guess - Andrews running with a raised arm.

Batley sucked in for one last push. They worked the ball in seemingly decreasing circles, but the last pass found centre Langley in space and his desperate lunge for the line fell short and what the home fans thought was the clinching try was a Hornets penalty for a double movement. The travelling Hornets fans exhaled in relief as their team hung on for the win.

Top performances on the day came from Hulsey, Phil Hasty and Tommy Goulden. In a game where go-forward was at a premium, they worked tirelessly to drive Hornets onward. Gary Hulse's darting runs and precision distribution from acting half had Batley in trouble all afternoon; Phil Hasty's impeccable balance in traffic is a delight to watch and Tommy's mobility and strength scares the bejabers out of defenders.

Having won their Northern Rail Cup group at a fair canter, Hornets go into the draw next Thursday evening. As usual, it's unseeded, so group winners have no advantage over teams that crept through in third place. The draw is live on GMR Radio Manchester at 7.30. So cross everything.