Be assured, however bad you felt on the crawl back from Cumbria yesterday, the lads felt it too - and they had the bruises to accompany it.

After 72 minutes - Hornets had frustrated and battled the game into a headlock that Haven had had to work hard to shake off. Indeed, you could tell how rattled the locals were by their constant complaining about the physicality of Hornets’ approach to the game - a bit rich coming from a team that’s built a platform around dominating teams with a bit of ‘presence’.

As it was, Hornets opened their account after nine minutes. Having soaked up an early Haven onslaught, Hornets worked the ball downfield and, from the back of a scrum, Goulding fed Gareth Price, Pricey took the ball on and slipped the ball inside to the excellent Andy Gorski who scored by the posts.

It took Whitehaven 20 minutes of aimless huffing and puffing to find their way back into the game - a well weighted kick from Walsh was seized upon by Calvert to score wide out.

Having sensed that this was a good way to put Hornets’ slow turning defence on the back foot, Whitehaven repeated the trick on 38 minutes - only for the ball to roll dead. From the quick restart, Andi Gorski took the ball fully 80 metres downfield bumping off tacklers as he went. By the time the defence had scrambled back to cover, Mark McCully had waltzed through to score and send Hornets in 10-4 up at the break.

Whitehaven started the second half like a train. Steaming down the hill, a last tackle bomb from the opening set found Hornets threequarter line in disarray; Seeds gathered the ball and slotted Morton in out wide. On 45 minutes Hornets’ defence backpedalled as Walsh ran across the line and quick hands saw Calvert score his second. Whitehaven suddenly 14-10 in front.

But Hornets dug in. Big forward drives from Hodgkinson, Hansen and Pricey ground haven back up the slope. Michael Platt drew defenders with a curving run and Chris Campbell on hand to skin his opposite number and score. 14-all.

Given Hornets’ big defensive effort, was a disappointingly slack try that gave Haven the lead again in the 58th minute. Out of runners and options on the last tackle, Obst stabbed through a hopeful grubber and, whilst Hornets’ defenders waited for someone else to take responsibility, Obst couldn’t believe his luck, diving in to touch down.

And so it stayed - 20-14 - for close on fifteen minutes. Both teams engaged in a relentless arm wrestle for possession and field position. Until, on 72 minutes, came the moment that gave Whitehaven the impetus to seize the game.

Hornets with possession in the middle of the park; a neat interchange of passes and Andy Gorski away through the middle of a static defence, leaving tacklers in his wake. With Gorski seemingly certain to score, a last ditch tackle by Obst brought him to ground inches short of the line and the chance - and the game - was gone.

Two late, late Haven tries by O’Neill and Walsh - both breaking through a tired defence - gave the scoreline a somewhat uneven look and allowed the locals to relax a bit.

Second in the division, Whitehaven will have illusions of getting into the mix for the grand final. But it’s a measure of how far Hornets have come that we could be one last ditch tackle away from matching them.

Certainly, one factor that went against Hornets was the 13-3 penalty count, but if we’re going to have to be absolutely whiter than white to get referees off out back, we’re going to have to work hard at it.

This wasn’t a pretty game. It was a workmanlike, artisan performance big on scrambling effort. Whitehaven are no push-overs - they’re big, physical and quick out of defence. They make you work for every yard you make - and they make you pay for it too.

Ultimately, the drained, disappointed faces of the players told the story. Geographically and metaphorically Hornets had come a long way and come pretty close.

And if what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, we’ll all be in good shape for the visit of Featherstone in a fortnight.