For 70 minutes Hornets had forsaken craft for resolute graft - whilst half backs Birdseye and Butterworth had sparked but failed to fire the attack, the Hornets defence put in a mammoth stint of scrambling and scrapping to reduce Halifax to a minimum of chances.

Indeed, before half time Hornets had blown three clear opportunities to take the game a way from a Halifax side that looks like it’ll be in the mix at the wrong end of the table unless it gets its finger out.

Halifax got on the board in the 10th minute - Moxon delaying his pass to find Chapman arriving on cue to score - but Hornets looked dangerous attacking from deep.

Gorski began the charge - blasting through the right flank. But with support left and right he chose not to pass and the chance was gone.

Next Michael Platt came through the line at pace, his break backed up by Chris Campbell who fumbled what looked like a straightforward pass. And it was Campbell who sent the next chance the same way - his break up the left on the second tackle; support arriving on his right; Halifax defence all over the shop. Option a: take the tackle, quick play the ball, set up next attack. Option b: wait for support to arrive and try inside ball. Option c: hoof the ball into the air, surrendering possession. Tick option c.

Minutes later Cantillon was threading panto-villain Paul Davidson under the posts for a no-sweat try. Bugger.

With Hornets seemingly determined to spurn try chances, Birdseye’s two penalties sent Hornets in 10-4 down at the break.

The second half crept by in a torpid blur. The only bright spot, the no-nonsense go-forward of Tommy Hodgkinson who ran the Halifax defence ragged every time he carried the ball. Both sides struggled to set up attacks, resorting to exchanging forward barrages - Hansen and Costello steaming in for Hornets; Ryan Macdonald leading the line for Halifax.

Birdseye slotted another penalty and stasis set in at 10-6.

On 72 minutes Bloem woke the scoreboard operator. A random penalty took Halifax out to 12-6. The next foray into Hornets territory and Bloem went for the smash and grab option, his drop goal forcing Hornets into scoring three times to win.

With three minutes remaining, Halifax hooker Cantillon backed up a close range break to take a pass in traffic to dive through. And with referee Gareth hewer determined to work his way through the laws in 80 minutes, a last minute penalty that saw Hodgkinson sin-binned for deliberate offside gave the scoreline a flatteringly lopsided look at 21-6.

Despite his side blowing good chances and losing vital concentration for the last 480 seconds of the game, Bobbie Goulding recognised that this utilitarian effort went some way to erasing the memory of Tuesday’s thumping.

“The lads showed a lot of commitment,” he said. “We bombed some good chances - we had two three on ones in the first half and didn’t finish them. But we’re getting there - we won’t be pushovers. We’ll always go out and give 100%. Things will happen here.”

Goulding’s positivity was reflected by the reaction of the Hornets vociferous travelling support. Cheered from the field in defeat, there’s a realisation that this is a team with a big heart - and once Goulding gets in there as playmaker, there could be plenty to cheer in 2004.