Nottingham - settling down after last season's promotion - were just two points ahead of Otley in eighth spot going into this match.

However, they had lost three games by just a single point and they came to Cross Green looking for only their second win at the ground - the last being in 1994 when in Division Two.

They found Otley in no mood to accommodate their ambitions and left without even a bonus point as Otley climbed above them and Coventry in the table.

Otley did not have it all their own way but the first scrum had the visitors on their knees and they conceded a penalty, which pushed them back into their own half.

They were put under immediate pressure and when Simon Binns cut inside he was caught with a high tackle from No 6 Craig Hammond which earned him a yellow card.

Binns kicked his first penalty and as Otley hammered at the Nottingham line he added another six minutes later.

Three penalties conceded in quick succession had Notting-ham in a panic on their 22

and it was the turn of Paul Williams to receive a yellow card but the resultant penalty was driven wide.

However, Nottingham soon showed their class when, following a drive from a line-out, centre Thomas Wyles came onto the ball at speed to slice through to the posts, scrum half Neil Stenhouse putting his side ahead with the conversion.

He went on to add a penalty but Otley struck from the restart when Paul Mooney was quickly up to take Binns' short kick and make ground before handing back to the fly-half, who found Ian Shuttleworth steaming up. He slipped by the first tackler before cutting back inside for a superb try.

Binns added the conversion and three minutes into the

second half kicked his third penalty.

Otley took a stranglehold when Matt Stockdale scooped up a loose ball and slipped it to Glen Wilson, who capped a fine game by diving over.

A high tackle gave Stenhouse an easy penalty but two more from Binns had Otley 13 points ahead which meant centre Tim Molinaar's late converted try was nothing more than a consolation.