6:32pm Sunday 5th September 2010
By John Finch
Otley 22, Blaydon 25
Otley will be disappointed to pick up just two points from a game in which they were unable to make the most of their possession.
They enjoyed the majority of the ball in the first half but couldn’t translate this advantage into scores, while the visitors struck twice.
With five new faces in the starting line-up, they began admirably, the line-out and scrum functioning well.
They took an early lead when Blaydon dropped the ball from a five-metre line-out and centre Joe Barker tapped over the line and touched down. Fly half Will Nelson, having missed a penalty, made no mistake with the conversion.
Blaydon hit back when a quickly-taken tap penalty caught Otley napping and lackadaisical defence allowed winger David Clark to get in at the corner. Then just before the break, hooker Matthew Hall strode through the middle to provide lock Chris Wearmouth with a try which Andy Baggett converted.
He missed an early chance to extend that lead when the teams changed round and it was Otley who struck back when prop Gareth Denman was driven over from a five-metre line-out.
New skipper No 7 Jamie Sutton put them ahead, cutting through when stationed among the backs at another close-in line-out. Nelson hit the posts with each attempt to convert.
Now calling the tune, Otley looked likely to add to their score, particularly when scrum half Tom Rock was yellow-carded, but it served to re-vitalise the visitors.
A strong break ended with Baggett going in under the posts and converting.
Otley recovered the lead when lock Dallas Pawley got his boot to a loose ball, sending it towards the corner where pacy winger Curtis Wilson out-ran the defence to dive on it.
The hosts were looking comfortable until Blaydon launched a final attack. Otley were penalised for being offside under the posts and then diving into a maul.
Full back Dan Kyle stepped up to secure both penalties.
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