Depleted Otley earn plaudits (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Depleted Otley earn plaudits

12:00pm Monday 11th December 2006 in Sport By Sports Desk

Otley 3

Earth Titans 47

With 12 first-choice players on the injured list, including - apart from scrum-half - a com-plete back line, the last thing Otley needed was to lose influential prop Steve Barrento within two minutes of this National League One derby at Cross Green.

And when, after 57 minutes, open-side prop Paul Turner retired with a leg injury, uncontested scrums were the order of the day.

However, Peter Clegg's patched-up side had a tremendous first half, opening the scoring with an Andy Brown penalty and conceding just a penalty try in the 24th minute. Alastair Monks was a rock at full back, making half-a-dozen one-on-one tackles when Rotherham, mainly through the impressive Mike Whitehead at full back, breached the otherwise effective home defence.

And Stephen Pike was a revelation at fly half on his first start, a neat player with a fine boot who was not afraid to put in a hard tackle.

A fresh centre pairing of Ben Cooper, making his first start, and new recruit Joe Pattison looked completely at home and their defence was amazingly sure as Titans, with the large majority of possession, hurled themselves forward.

Howard Parr, involved in every phase of the game, led by example, and he had great support from Dan Hyde, back from a six-week sabbatical.

But every man played out of his socks during a furious first half and the lead could have been extended had Brown not missed a second penalty six minutes after his first success.

However, a failure to control the deep 22 drop-out cost them dear when the ball eventually reached Pike.

His clearing kick was charged down and four penalties later referee Rowden awarded a try which fly half Gareth Steenson converted.

Seemingly unfazed, Otley stuck to their task and great runs by Parr and Hyde (twice) had them on the visitors' line but they were unable to complete and, following a penalty to the home 22, Rotherham stretched them to breaking point, the ball criss-crossing the field before Brian Tuohy, having switched from the right wing, went in at the corner for Steenson to convert.

Urged on by their travelling support, Titans began to find the openings and two tries followed from scrum half Joe Bedford, plus one each from replacement centre Tom Allen, No 8 Michael McCornish and Bernard Hennessy, with conversions for Steenson (2) and Whitehead (2).

In the end it was a seven-try hiding, but Otley can be pleased with much of their performance against the title-chasers.