But, despite the inertia brought about by Nicholson’s Dadaist display, both teams grafted hard between whistle blasts.

Keighley were first off the mark after 11 minutes as they exploited Hornets’ suspect right flank: Foster’s dink through pounced on by Robinson. On the quarter mark Lee Birdseye kicked a penalty from bang in front to open Hornets’ account and just five minutes later some nifty handling put Michael Platt in enough space to come through the line and score. Birdseye slotted an excellent conversion and Hornets were 8-4 to the good.

With half time almost upon us, a moment’s lack in concentration allowed local hero Danny Ekis space to break the line and, from the ensuing field position, Keighley again took it wide on the left for Robinson to score his second. Eight-apiece and both sides struggling to open up the game.

The second half started much like the first finished - both sides hurling forward barrages onto the opposition defence. Keighley gained first advantage when the impressive Matt Sturm was pulled for a high-ish tackle and Mitchell took the two.

Hornets knuckled down and drove the Keighley pack back up the Lawkholme Lane slope. Within two minutes, some neat interpassing found John Braddish with a huge hole to exploit - so he did and strolled in untouched under the black dot. Birdseye converted; 14-10 Hornets - and half an hour to hang on.

Choreographed around Mr Nicholson’s one-man whistle show, both packs drove relentlessly forwards - Hornets’ ably assisted by centre Paul Anderson who did a sh*tload of hard yards into the driving rain.

Keighley’s only answer, another Mitchell penalty for... well... something seen by the referee. Possibly an offside or a not standing square or something.

As the game came to its denouement, Keighley simply ran out of steam and ideas as Hornets resolute defence repelled a stream of rudimentary charges and aimless hoofs into the in-goal. As their desperation became apparent, Keighley passes began to go to ground and they were caught in possession on the last tackle a couple of times. The clock ticked down.

With less than two minutes remaining another damp squib of a kick was defused by the Hornets defence and, again, Paul Anderson steamed the ball into the Cougars’ pack. This time however, the voices in the referee’s head told him that Anderson had led with the forearm. Keighley banged over the equalising penalty and - bar a flapping drop goal effort by Mitchell - the game was put out of its misery.

It was exasperating - and Bobbie Goulding saw it as a point lost: “That 79th minute penalty decision was an awful decision,” he said. “We had two good sides out there today going at each other and their efforts were cancelled out by the game not being allowed to flow.”

Better, though, was Hornets defence which kept Keighley tryless for the second half and reduced their attack to increasingly desperate kicks downfield. “I’m made up with the way we defended,” said Goulding, “That shows that we’re not a ‘fifty points’ side.”

Indeed - a repeat performance on Friday will be most welcome.