National League Two North: Otley 13 Sale FC 31

OTLEY, facing promotion hopefuls Sale FC, gave a much better performance than the previous week, but are still looking for their second National League Two North home win of the season.

Most pundits had this down as an away win, but Otley gave as good as they got for nearly an hour before two Sale tries put the game beyond them.

Indeed the hosts nearly scored in the opening minutes, having taken the kick-off cleanly and then made progress upfield, but were caught crossing just metres from the posts.

Stung into action, Sale responded with pressure on Otley's line, first getting a penalty that was put into the corner only to lose the line-out.

After 11 minutes, 35-year-old former Wigan Warrior and Sale Sharks centre Chris Mayor received the ball in the middle of Otley's half and took a good line to evade Otley's defence and go in under the posts, with former Huddersfield fly half Chris Johnson adding the conversion.

For the next quarter, Otley's defence held, the pressure eventually being relieved when Nick Coupland kicked the ball into the visitors' 22 on the cemetery side.

Otley then got the ball to the other side, and spent some five minutes trying to prise open Sale's defence.

A yellow card for Sale followed and, after further assaults, Otley got the ball back to the other corner for Tom Hodson to score, making the half-time score 7-5 to the visitors.

Six minutes into the second half, Otley were penalised for not releasing in front of the posts, and Johnson kicked the ball between the uprights.

Hodson reduced the deficit with an Otley penalty after a high tackle, but Sale continued to push, stretching Otley from one corner to the other.

They nearly scored when Johnson was held up on the line. However, from the scrum, Tom Ailes peeled off from the back to go through under the posts.

Undaunted and still in the game, Otley were awarded a penalty after Mike Coady was tackled high, with the ball being kicked to the clubhouse corner.

Otley moved the ball towards the posts but were going backwards, so swung the ball wide, freeing Alex Beaumont to hit the whitewash just before the hour mark in the scoreboard corner.

Sensing that time was running out, Sale stepped up, and a combination of James Luke, Jack Moorhouse and Aaron Reed cut through Otley's defence, the latter going over under the posts.

This was followed by a Will Davies try with five minutes to go, both second-half tries being converted by Johnson.