Otley............11

HARROGATE...8

THIS match at Cross Green, on Saturday, was reduced to a muddy romp due to heavy overnight rain but nevertheless Otley completed the double over old rivals Harrogate in this re-arranged Jewson League Division One match.

The match was first postponed on January 3 because of a waterlogged pitch and then postponed a second time to accommodate the county championship semi-final at Cross Green.

This time the match went ahead despite the heavy conditions which were more in keeping with mid-winter rather than April. Players in the 'boilerhouse' were reduced to unrecognisable beings as they floundered about in the mud. In some cases players were only identifiable by their shape or size.

Once again it was Peter Rutledge, the Otley full-back, who was the villain of the peace so far as Harrogate were concerned. He landed a couple of penalties, the second of which was just six minutes from the end to secure victory for Otley after Harrogate had drawn level. Last November at Claro Road Rutledge with the last kick of the match clinched victory for Otley.

This was Otley's second win since the New Year and during that time they have scored only five points out of a possible 22 points.

This was a crucial match for Harrogate for they are third from the bottom of the table and Lydney, who have one point less, have a match in hand.

These old rivals have locked horns on many occasions and have now met in the clubs championship on 12 occasions with Otley winning seven and Harrogate five.

Both teams made brave attempts to move the ball out to their respective threequarters but it was in the forwards where the battle was won and lost. Otley just had the edge over their opponents where lock Ian Carroll was prominent in the line-out and in the set pieces the extra weight of Simon Hudson was welcome. All they needed was their Samoan flanker Lafaele Filipo, who had been originally selected but did not turn out because of contract problems. Filipo, who is also a Rugby League player with Hunslet, watched the match from the touchline.

The first-half was keenly fought with neither side giving much away, although most of the first 20-minutes play was in the Harrogate half.

Mark Farrar, the former Otley scrum-half, made a fine run in the 10th minute which nearly resulted in a try and full-back Stuart Dixon was just wide with a penalty kick in the 25th minute. Five minutes later fly-half Neil James had to leave the field with a bleeding nose. He was replaced by Rupert Whiting.

Otley took the lead with a penalty by full-back Peter Rutledge (31 mins) to give them a 3-0 lead at half-time.

Within two minutes of play resuming Dixon kicked a penalty for Harrogate, awarded when an Otley player did not release the ball, to level the scores. A superbly controlled push by the Otley pack gave skipper Neil Hargreaves an opportunity to touch down in the 57th minute to give Otley the lead. Rutledge was just wide with his conversion attempt.

Otley now led 8-3 but nine minutes later Harrogate levelled the scores when Farrar picked up the ball from a ruck, went down the blind side for a try. Dixon's conversion attempt was low and short. In the 74th minute Rutledge secured victory for Otley with a penalty awarded for an offence by Harrogate flanker Dean Holder. Rutledge was just short with a penalty kick in the 79th minute.

This was a well earned and thoroughly deserved victory for Otley, who stuck to their task to the bitter end.

Otley now confidently look forward to the visit of Morley to Cross Green tomorrow (Saturday) 3pm.

On April 25 they entertain London Welsh in their last league match of the season.

The away game with Hull Ionians on April 18 has been cancelled.

l For match action pictures turn to page 30.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.