Certainly, the pack had the better of things throughout and the livewire backs had sufficient quality ball to have wrapped up victory long before referee Guy Steele-Bodger blew the full time whistle.
But, exasperatingly, possession was surrendered much too often and too many final passes came unstuck when the Waterloo defence had the try line at their mercy.
And so Waterloo were not finally vanquished until lithesome centre James Clark darted over with just four minutes remaining to score his sixth try of the National 2 North campaign and his side’s fourth of the match, so clinching a bonus point.
Director of rugby Andy Howells was for good reason a far happier man than after the 38-31 defeat at Broadstreet a week earlier when amid Westoe’s meritorious moments there had been just too many lapses.
He said: “We did play into our opponents’ hands - yet again - with defensive frailties and conceding soft tries, but we also played some excellent rugby, especially in difficult conditions in the first half. And in the last 20 minutes we really put it together.
“We are not far from being a very good side. The players are settling in well as a squad and operating as one and not as a collection of individuals. We must keep plugging away and need to hang on to the ball phase after phase.”
And looking forward a touch jauntily to next week’s game he declared: “Bring on Huddersfield!”
He rated full back Dan Rayson’s performance as “outstanding”, but for my money the spring-heeled number 15 would have to vie with fly half Charlie Rayner and loose head prop and captain Gareth Nesbit for the man of the match accolade.
Despite the errors, nobody could be said to have had a bad game
It was Rayson who got his side off to a flying start when in the fourth minute he collected the ball from a rampaging attack down the right flank and sped 30 metres to score, Rayner converting well.
But the Merseysiders came fighting back and went ahead with unconverted tries by full back James O’Brien - whose speed and precision kick-ahead to touch down beside the right corner was a solo gem - and flanker Nijke Tchakoute Cyr.
Rayner kicked a penalty to make it 10-10 at the interval after which the sun came out and a rainbow welcomed the players’ return to the field.
The Dunes Adventure Island-sponsored Shieldsmen, now playing down the slope, were to take control and bag a five-point crock of gold. But not immediately.
Though Rayner galloped diagonally across field, breaking through three tackles to touch down on the right, converting himself, Waterloo leveled things immediately when from the restart winger Noam Dubart grabbed a fumbled ball to score under the posts, centre Liam McGovern routinely making it seven points.
On the hour. a Rayner penalty put his side ahead and thereafter, with the forwards imposing themselves even more, the screw was tightened, number 8 Michael Ellery bursting over after the ball was sprung from a maul on the 5 metre line.
The visitors, though now pretty well pinned back in their own 22, resisted staunchly and did launch sporadic attacks which, given Westoe’s recent history, unnerved the Wood Terrace faithful who breathed easily only after Clark’s late lightening strike.
*The Seconds’ home game against Sunderland - the only other scheduled Westoe fixture - was called off by the Ashbrooke side who could not field a front row.