Witcombe agreed the game was messy, sometimes ugly, but unlike the 2013 Taniwha team, this year's group held their nerve to snatch the win after the final hooter.
"Last year was tough," he conceded. "We're slowly starting to see some results this year but it's going to take some time.
"Everyone in the side has played club rugby up here and I think that helps. They play for province.
"[Hawke's Bay] would have come up here to win that game. They're similar to us, they like to play rugby and throw it around.
"The difference is they've got some Super Rugby players and we don't have any. No one gave us a shot."
Witcombe felt his loose forwards - Cam Eyre, Dan Pryor, Kara Pryor, and Jack Ram in his blazer game - were standouts, charging through the work as both sides struggled to keep control of the ball in the soggy conditions.
Also adding value were the Taniwha reserves who brought energy with them when injected into the game.
The small but hardy crowd who turned out for the Friday night match were naturally excited post-match, something Witcombe said didn't go unnoticed with the players.
"It was great to see people there and at the end of the day we're made by the people. The players commented on the crowd afterwards and noticed how it makes the fans happy.
"Come Taranaki [Northland's next home game] hopefully we'll see thousands at Toll Stadium."
Helping boost Witcombe after the game was the lack of injuries coming from the win, saying there a few sore bodies but no one new would be joining Matt Talaese and Winston Stanley on the sidelines.
This week the Taniwha have a double header, facing Otago in Dunedin on Wednesday before heading to Invercargill to take on Southland.
