The truth is far more positive. Bar a ten minute purple patch at the start of the second half when Rovers pulled Hornets out of shape to score 20 unanswered points, Hornets put in a gargantuan effort that deserved more than the one point.

Rovers had started brightly - a try from Kirmond after three minutes off the back of a Hornets knock-on - but the remainder of the half belonged to the men in red, white and blue.

After 13 minutes Jon Braddish and Radney Bowker traded passes, Paul Owen joined the line at speed and sliced through to score. Three minutes later Braddish's perfectly delayed pass found Andy Gorski running the same line. The outcome identical.

With Featherstone throwing the heavy artillery down the slope, Hornets' defence stood resolute - repelling three consecutive sets at one point. The reply was clinical. The ball trunked smartly upfield; worked swiftly wide for Andy 'the Train' Saywell to round his opposite number to score wide out.

With Featherstone struggling to find any real cohesion and looking increasingly impotent on attack, Hornets looked in control - but on 37 minutes, the whole complexion of the game changed.

Following a seemingly innocuous scuffle at a play the ball, Hornets prop John Hill had a complete brain-fart and punched Richard Newlove's lights out. Hornets fans looked at their feet and anticipated the worst. Half time 6-12.

A minute into the second half, the worst arrived. Featherstone sensed Hornets struggle to regain their shape with a man short and moved the ball around with uncharacteristic flair. First Powell capitalised on a Finn bomb into space; then Finn himself exploiting a strecthed defence after 46 minutes ; Finn again on the end of a seamless passing move on 49 minutes. Hornets shellshocked at 26-12.

But the one thing Bobbie Goulding has instilled in his team is determination. Hornets sucked in, dug deep and took the game back to Rovers. Led by a barraging stint from Gareth price, Hornets drove Featherstone back down the slope where Braddish found Rob Ball arriving unstoppably from three metres.

On the next visit into Featherstone's territory Lee Doran's good vision and quick hands engineered an overlap on the right; and as soon as his pass was shipped to Andy Saywell with daylight between him and the line, there was only one outcome.

Featherstone rallied briefly with a try from Kirmond, but Hornets hadn't quite finished.

On 73 minutes the ball was moved smartly to the right where Dave McConnel's pass sent Richard Varkulis in to score. Hornets back within a score and Featherstone searching for some sort of answer.

On the next possession in Fev Territory Hornets worked the ball around looking for an opening. With Rovers backpedalling, Braddish and Alstead combined to give Varkulis sight of the line; and he didn't need a second invitation, showing good strength to crash through and level the scores.

Hornets players and fans alike up in celebration. McCully's conversion shot fading short.

In the final moments, a Sam Butterworth drop-goal attempt failed to hit the mark and Featherstone found one last desperate attack against a Hornets defence out on its feet - the move disappearing up its own jacksy as Maun died with the ball, with supporting players queuing up for a drop goal.

At the hooter, the sizeable and vociferous Hornets following rose to applaud a mighty effort. And whilst the facts show a draw, the truth is that Hornets were - against all odds - superb.