There is one thing that can be said about the Warriors – they’re not defeatists.

Travelling to the League Champions stronghold with a scratch side, annihilation looked on the cards.

Not so however, with Captain Baz Stead and forwards, Pete Williams and Richard Casanove, leading by example the Warriors took the Saracens by surprise and looked the better team for the first 10-15 minutes.

James Spivey and Ollie Dugdale’s probing scoots, and Marcus Gill’s unbelievable work rate, took Whitehall to Slaithwaite’s line and although Stuart Syme and Andrew Sadler were held short, they were rewarded with a penalty which Dugdale duly converted to put the Warriors into an early lead.

It took a great individual effort from Lee Mason to break the stubborn Warriors defence as he followed up his own chip through, drew the fullback and sent Luke Karolzux over the whitewash.

Whitehall’s 2^nd rowers, Andrew Johnson and Simon Howland, worked overtime to keep the now rampaging Saracens at bay and it took until the 30^th minute for Arran Crabtree, brother of Huddersfield Giants Earl, to relieve their growing frustration with that elusive try.

Inevitably another try soon followed when Mark Boothroyd linked well with Darren Hawkyard to put their team 16-2 up.

Whitehall suffered a major blow with the loss of hooker Ollie Dugdale with a bad cut over his eye but replacement Richard Ingham did his utmost to fill the berth.

On the stroke of half time, Gavin Dyson extended Slaithwaites lead with a converted try to take them in leading 22-2.

Slaithwaite were probably expecting a landslide victory but Whitehall’s "Golden Oldies" Paul Hughes, Paul Johnson, Richard Spivey and David Beaumont all called on their vast experience to thwart their opponents and restrict them to only 2 further converted tries, which indeed gave the Warriors a moral victory.

Whitehall’s final match of this campaign is on April 19^th at home to Lindley Swifts – kick off 2.30pm.