Bedford 17

Otley 22

OTLEY travelled to Bedford without forwards Ian Carroll and Duncan Sayers and their influential mid three Simon Binns, Robert Whatmuff and Phil Greaves but still emerged with an excellent win.

They now look forward to their final home game of the season on Saturday when they entertain Rugby. It is expected that there will be a big crowd in attendance to show their appreciation of the fine football Otley have presented over this most successful season.

They were able to call on skipper Peter Curtis and polished hooker Hapafila Liu in the pack whilst Mark Billington added security to the defence and Sam Gardner took full advantage of a rare start in the centre.

Ian Shuttleworth was always going to be comfortable at fly-half and it was fortunate that Ryan Duckett had recovered to take his place at full-back.

Bedford have always believed that they belong in the top echelon and have had a chequered run over the last few years. After the debacle of being involved with the great rugby enthusiast Frank Warren they formed a company, gathered £500,000 and employed names such as Geoff Cooke, Paul Turner and Rusi Straeuli to spend it.

Bedford were relieved to draw at Cross Green last season to maintain their Division One status.

Having lost to Otley back in December they were expecting to retain their good home record and the crowd of just over 1,300 were determined to play their part which included jeering when Shuttleworth was taking kicks at goal and making Mr Debney well aware that they did not take kindly to him. So much so that it merited an appeal over the tannoy and an escort from the field for the referee.

The team responded pretty well garnering two more yellow cards when Adam Pogson suffered a broken nose which needed stitches and in the second-half when Paul Wilson was taken out at a line-out. The officials failed to spot when James Tiffany was flattened.

It was then much to Otley's credit that they were able to rise above this provocation and provide the football to win.

The last try conceded was another to baffle and annoy coach Peter Clegg because it gave Bedford an undeserved bonus point.

Shuttleworth was wide with his first shot at goal and Otley had a stroke of luck when winger Simon Lincoln found himself with an overlap but failed to take the pass. Bedford paid the penalty for indiscipline when Otley scored twice after second row Phil Clarke was sidelined for smacking Pogson.

Pushed back into their 22 they conceded a penalty for off-side which Shuttleworth converted and from a tapped penalty Gardner burst through and Nathan Bland handed on his pass to Will Darby who sprinted over.

Otley held that lead until the 37th minute when fly-half James Shanahan broke out of his 22 to gain a penalty which was quickly taken and he dodged over for full-back Mark Meenan to convert to bring them within one point.

Two minutes later a knock on by Bedford at the base of their scrum was snapped up and quickly shipped down the line to Mark Kirkby who raced down the wing and had Shuttleworth inside him when required to run in the try.

Now feeling the might of the Otley forwards the home side was penned in its own 22 and Shuttleworth landed a second penalty and a drop goal. However, a good rolling maul had Otley retreating and James Hinkins skipped over.

Another Shuttleworth penalty when Williams was upended restored a healthy lead but on 73 minutes slack tackling allowed Shanahan in and Meenan's conversion put them back in the game. Otley however had the sagacity to hold out.