If you add the two times that Hornets had the ball over the line, but failed to ground the ball to the two tries we did score, it'd be hard to deny - even by the most hardened, partisan supporter - that the best team does occasionally lose.

But before they sputtered out, Halifax briefly sparked. Roper's penalty gave thenm an early lead and that was supplemented on 11 minutes by a well worked try from Paul Davidson - whose soft exterior hides the failing spark of a decent player when he can be bothered to try. Short pass by Weisner into space, Davidson at pace into the hole. Simple and effective. 8-0.

Once in front, Halifax gave up trying to play football and settled for spoiling. Lying on in every tackle in defence, slowing down the play the ball. Questioning every tackle when they carried the ball like whining children seeking attention. Garbage, really.

Just as their 'suck 'em in and see' tactics seemed to be working - Hornets centre Dave Cunliffe making short shrift of the agricultural Ryan McDonald and sharing the sin-bin for his efforts - enter Bobbie Goulding to demonstrate that, while popularity is fleeting, quality endures. As Lee Birdseye dispatched the penalty, Bobbie rallied his charges.

With virtually his first touch he lofted a chip into the corner, but Andy Saywell's diving lunge was unable to bring the ball to ground. Hornets' next possesion, Goulding produced the game's moment of magic. Hornets in possesion on half-way; Goulding's delicate last tackle chip over a static 'Fax defence; Andy Saywell arriving like a train to gather and blast past bewildered defenders to race 40 metres and score. Birdseye slotted the touchline conversion and Hornets went in level at the break at 8 apiece.

The second half, Hornets fought a losing battle on two fronts - one with the boot of Jon Roper and the other with the inconsistent pedantry of Referee Ben Thaler.

There's no doubt that Hornets did contribute to the pressure they played under. Sam Butterworth - again - penalised for playing the ball before regaining his feet; Goulding hoofing two kick-offs into what one day will be row D of the main stand.

Buit it was Mr Thaler's somewhat interesting interpretation of the laws around the tackle that proved too much to overcome. Firstly he penalised Hornets for stealing the ball after Halifax's Feehan had dropped it cold in the tackle. A crunching tackle on Roper was adjudged to be high (when neither players or crowd thought it was). Then - most bizzare of all - Goulding executed a perfect one on one tackle on Corcoran whose momentum carried him head over heels. Thaler saw it as a 'spear' tackle and Roper took the two. Quite simply the crappest decision I've seen for some time.

Endless Halifax posession courtesy of Thaler's interjection kept them entrenched in Hornets' half - but out of ideas and increasingly desperate - Weisner dropped what would be the decisive goal.

But Hornets were far from finished. Only their second visit to the Halifax 20, Goulding's last tackle kick rebounded off a defender and the ball was shipped smartly right for Mark McCully to score out wide. Birdseye brought the visiting supporters to their feet with a superb conversion.

The last five minutes were a manic scramble as Hornets sought to win the game. Despite regathering posession from a charge-down, Thaler refused to wipe tha tackle count and an attacking platform went begging. With Hornets fans shouting for the drop goal, Goulding's options were limited - he opted instead for a kick to the corner and followed his kick with a shuddering tackle that took Sherriffe into touch. From the scrum Hornets worked the ball left and right. The attack came again from Goulding's boot. His chip into the in-goal gathered by Kevin Picton; the touch-down a borderline call; the referee deciding that he was offside anyway.

Halifax exhaled and their supporters celebrated like they'd won the Cup. Hornets travelling support stood in stunned silence.

To be fair, if Halifax had played until midnight they wouldn't have come up with another try. They were out of ideas and out of steam long before Ben Thaler intervened.

In the final analysis, Hornets probably paid the price for naivety at key times and a failure to be absolutely whiter than white - but week after week we struggle to get a fair go from the officials.

There's no doubt that Hornets have the measure of this division - and that we're capable of digging in and holding our own, but we need a break. Notwithstanding the desperation of a club in seemingly terminal downward spiral - or the nature of Hornets defeat - it's still far better to be a Hornets fan than a Halifax one this morning.

Why? Goulding's after match comments say it better than I can: "What I take out of it is that you look at their salary cap and what they've spent and what we've spent. I'd say there's about £120,000 difference. Four of their players would be on more money than the rest of our squad."

So if it's not the size of the dog in the fight that matters, but the size of the fight in the dog - our faith in Bobbie Goulding's Hornets is suitably invested.

And perhaps we're not so insane after all.