National League Two North: Otley 15 Broadstreet 10

AN INORDINATE amount of penalties ensured there was little cohesive rugby, which left Otley without the bonus point they may have expected against lowly Broadstreet.

The hosts certainly created the possibility but their finishing left much to be desired, usually conceding a penalty which had them back downfield to begin again.

Unexpectedly, it was the visitors who set the pace. For ten minutes, Otley could get no ball and, luckily for them, fly half Lee Chapman was off kilter with his goal-kicking, slipping with his first easy attempt and failing with two later ones.

But gently the home side began to show some authority and were making so many inroads, via centre Michael Coady in particular, that the result looked a foregone conclusion.

However, there were failings in the finishing. In-form winger James Wood was freed on halfway but lost the ball when tackled on the line, and a slick break involving both half-backs ended when the final pass was not collected.

Nevertheless, a penalty came to their aid, setting up a five-metre line-out where a solid drive led to lock Declan Dunn scoring to end the first half.

All looked well when full back Henry Roberts smartly trapped a high ball and picked it up to race through a body of players, only to be called back for using one as an obstruction!

The pressure began to pay though. Camping on the visitors’ line, Otley were eventually awarded a penalty try, converted by skipper Stephen Depledge, and when Richard Stout was yellow-carded, following fellow prop Joe Foreman, a half-time replacement, he chose to take the goal kick as uncontested scrums were ordered.

This left them with ten minutes to grab a couple of tries but, when in full flight, Dunn was consigned to the sin-bin and they lost their shape, Broadstreet scoring tries through winger Aaron Martin and centre Todd Freemantle in the 78th and 80th minutes.