But to see the Halifax players coming off the pitch with smiles on their faces suggests a different story.
Too many times this season Halifax have come apart at the seams in the second period of matches.
But this time they overcame a quite dreadful first half, which saw them ship 32 points, to dominate their high-flying opponents after the break.
The transformation was astonishing and must have gone a long way to proving to the players that they can compete against the best sides the league has to offer.
In that first half Stourbridge looked by far the best side Halifax have played this season. They were quick, strong, ran intelligent lines and were solid in the set-piece.
To say they ran the visitors ragged was an understatement as Halifax had no answers.
A torturous journey through the Staffordshire countryside perhaps didn't help - an accident on the M6 causing the scenic diversion and leading to joint coach Richard Szabo only arriving at Stourton Park at half-time.
It was a pity because Halifax made a positive start, forcing a turnover but Tom Eaton knocked on as he looked to launch an attack.
Stourbridge stepped up their game up and forged ahead after five minutes when a fine inside pass bamboozled the Halifax defence and flanker Duncan White sped over, leaving scrum half Rod Petty with a straightforward kick.
Halifax responded well and Joe Knowles added to his seasonal tally with a penalty after prop James Tideswell had been caught offside.
But things deteriorated rapidly as Stourbridge went through their repotoire of skills, fine handling bringing winger Greg Summers into play and he outfoxed Oli Marns with a change of pace to gallop over, Petty adding the kick.
Within minutes Petty had added a penalty before centre Marcus Cook dived over, that try coming after Halifax No 8 Phil Skillen, who had looked more than comfortable in an unfamilar position, had crumpled to the ground with a knee injury after taking a high ball.
He was replaced by Dominic Moon, who went on to enjoy a decent game, pressing his claims for an immediate return to the starting ranks.
Knowles added a second penalty to make it 22-6 in favour of the hosts who went on to open Halifax up again, full back Thomas Jarvis being allowed to break too many tackles on his way to the line.
Stourbridge were so much in control at this stage that it came as no surprise when No 8 James Jenner was driven over for a 32-6 interval lead.
At that point Halifax looked set to receive a sound beating. However, nobody reckoned on the strength of character the visitors showed to dominate the second period.
It started badly when a clever chip through completely bamboozled the Halifax defence and Cook pounced for his second score.
Stourbridge sensed a massacre but Halifax, with absolutely nothing to lose, suddenly found a second wind.
And after Marns had shown that the home defence could be opened up with a couple of mazy runs, the confidence levels lifted too.
James Endersby made a fine break but Dave Hall was unable to keep hold of his pass, while Marns and Knowles worked well in tandem only for the move to break down.
Prop George Jenkins bulldozed everything in front of him, a lead taken up by second row Matt Harrison, while Gareth Lewis threw himself into every situation with renewed enthusiasm.
Centre Iain Gordon brought his colleagues into play with some slick passing while replacement scrum half Ronan Dillon, a last minute loan signing from Rotherham locked on to the other players' radars despite only meeting the majority of them in the dressing room before the game.
And Dave Hall put the shackles on Stourbridge's fleet-footed winger Martin Freeman to such an extent that he began drifting infield in search of the ball.
Stourbridge still posed a threat, Petty knocking on when all he had to do was gather the ball in.
Then an Eaton kick was charged down and between them Petty, replacement scrum half Daniel Pointon and Freeman made a right hash of a try-scoring opportunity, Hall and Knowles working hard to cut down the space and then clear their lines.
Now it was Halifax's turn to cause the problems, the pack bullying their opposite numbers into submission while the backs began to show some of the flair they undoubtedly possess.
And it was fitting that Marns grabbed a richly-desrved try. Halifax dug deep and worked an opening, Moon hurdling the Stourbridge physio who was attending to an injured player, before setting up Marns to burst in by the posts, leaving Knowles with a straightforward conversion
The fightback came too late to affect the result, but there was a different mood in the Halifax camp after the game than in recent weeks.

OVENDEN Park is to host the best of West Yorkshire's under 14s talent tomorrow as the county's under 14 squad limber up for the Yorkshire Festival in York at the end of this month.
The West Yorkshire side, coached by former Halifax player Ian Clarke, will take on a West Yorkshire Barbarians under 14s side, who will be coached by former Halifax first team supremo Kevin McCallion.
A total of 10 players from the Halifax junior section will be involved – four with the full squad and a further six with the Barbarians.
The county festival will be staged on Sunday November 25.

Star Player
From the word go, on loan prop George Jenkins made his presence felt. It was a shame that his efforts came to nothing in a first half which Stourbridge dominated.
But he was the player still pushing and shoving, carrying the ball forward and looking to break the home side's stranglehold.
And when things improved in the second half, Jenkins carried on from where he left off, leading from the front and ensuring Halifax had a platform from which to build their momentum.
Oli Marns's pride was stung, there is no doubt about that. His body language at the start of the second half was that of a man desperate to right the wrongs of the first period.
His running frightened the life out of Stourbridge and on his third sortie into enemy territory he was able to find a way through for a richly-deserved score.
He was also sound defensively, chasing back and putting in the hard work when it mattered.
Iain Gordon was always looking for the ball and trying to bring others into play. His range of passing was impressive and his strength in breaking through tackles was one of many confidence-lifting attributes to the second half display.
Jenkins picks up three points in the season long competition, Marns two and Gordon one.

Match Facts
Stourbridge: Jarvis, Summers, Porteous, Cook, Freeman, Robinson, Petty, Coles, Gerry, Tideswell, Homer, Muldowney, White, Jordan, Jenner. Replacements: Taylor (Coles, 21), Witcomb (Jenner, 29), Page (Gerry, 37), Pointon (Cook, 9)
Tries: Cook (2), White, Summers, Jarvis, Jenner
Con: Petty (2)
Pens: Petty
Drop goals: None
Yellow cards: None
Red cards: None
Halifax: Knowles, Marns, Endersby, Gordon, Hall, Eaton, Aikman, Blades, Kay, Jenkins, White, Harrison, Solomi, Lewis, Skillen. Replacements: Dillon (Aikman, 60), Townsend (Kay, 40), Moon (Skillen, 8), Kilbane (Blades, 62).
Tries: Marns
Con: Knowles
Pens: Knowles (2)
Drop goals: None
Yellow cards: None
Red cards: None
Referee:Trevor Fisher (RFU)

Player Points
WORKOUT WAREHOUSE PLAYER OF THE SEASON: 11 Craig Aikman; 10 Joe Knowles; 6 George Jenkins; 4 Tom Eaton, G Lewis; 3 Dave Hall, Danny McGee, James Endersby; 2 Richard White, Matt Harrison, Oli Marns; 1 Richard Brown, Phil Skillen, Adam Blades, Iain Gordon.