WATERLOO........15

Otley................19

AFTER this game the Otley team congregated in the sunshine to talk over their stirring victory.

There were smiles on their faces but there was nothing to be seen of the home side, they had had their last chance of league survival taken from them after building up an 18-8 lead but they had failed to take into account the resilience of their visitors.

There is an air of decay at Blundellsands, their stand is condemned with seats only for the press - two of us and a young fellow playing pop music to a crowd consisting mainly of visiting supporters.

A first away win of the season the previous week at Manchester had given Waterloo high hopes of reversing their early season narrow defeat at Cross Green but they were in arrears within a minute.

They lost possession as they ran the ball back at Otley from the kick-off and Phil Griffin broke through to set the ball moving swiftly through the hands of the threequarters.

Mark Billington looped round Mark Kirkby to cross in the corner.

Unfortunately Otley were never able to repeat such precise football but they lacked nothing in endeavour as the game developed into a forward battle but their defence fell when right winger Rob Worsfold fielded an Otley kick ahead and managed to evade Kirkby and Billington and make ground before kicking down the line where Andy Brown had to slide the ball into touch. The drive was held but the defence was caught off-side under the posts, an easy kick for full-back Phil Belgian but he was to miss one almost as simple five minutes later.

Otley had a sticky ten minutes leading up to half-time when Jonathan Burke was shown the yellow card for handling in the ruck on his line but Waterloo failed to take any advantage.

Four minutes after the break the touch judge thought Worsford and James Lofthouse were staring at each other too intently when the former had been tackled into touch and insisted that a penalty was called for.

This was duly kicked into the corner and from the line-out skipper David Blyth was driven over to give Waterloo the bit of luck they needed.

Dan Clappison soon levelled with a penalty but a further penalty into the corner pushed Otley where, despite holding the drive, Belgian came into the line when the ball was released to touch down and then convert.

Not fazed by this set-back on 58 minutes Otley began the fight-back, Clappison quickly added another penalty and on 72 minutes he put a penalty into the corner to set up a line-out. Seeing the initial drive faltering Duncan Sayers moved infield where his call for the ball was answered and Dave Hall came in to take the smuggled pass and crash over.

The conversion was wide but Clappison added a third penalty but there were eight uncomfortable minutes of added time to play before players and supporters could relax.

Otley have a free week before they take on neighbours Wakefield at Cross Green the following Saturday and they will be keen to avenge the trouncing they were given at College Grove on the opening day of the season.