National League Two North: Otley 20 Harrogate 22

SKIPPER Stephen Depledge could not quite engineer an Otley victory in his final game for the club, but that should not dim his contribution to the Cross Greeners over seven years.

The 28-year-old scrum half, who has played for the famous Yorkshire club for six of those seasons (he had a year at Fylde), is moving to east Cheshire.

Depledge, who will continue to teach PE in Sheffield, is tenth in Otley's all-time league appearance list with 168 (team-mate Adam Blades is ninth on 171), third on their points chart with 547 (he passed Dan Clappison's 546 during the match with his two penalties and two conversions) and third on their tries chart with 45.

But forwards' coach Mark Luffman knows that Depledge's contribution cannot be measured by statistics alone.

The former Otley hooker said: "He was the first player to join us after we were relegated and had lost a lot of our players.

"He has been a great servant, a stalwart for the club and has been the heartbeat of the team for six of the last seven seasons, in terms of teamwork and team ethics."

Depledge said: "This is my fourth straight year back here and it has been a honour to captain the club.

"We had a great first three-quarters of the season but have fallen away in the last quarter.

"We have lost our last six, but the only walloping we got was against Tynedale, and the defeats have not been due to a lack of effort in training or in matches.

"But although we haven't the biggest squad in the division and have suffered because of injuries, we have made progress.

"We finished the season in eighth place and have scored some great tries but I see no reason why we cannot get in the top six next season."

The host club had a good day financially due to the Tour de Yorkshire women's and men's races passing through the town and would dearly liked to have rounded it off by defeating derby rivals Harrogate in a match that kicked off at 5.30pm because of the cycling.

However, Harrogate started off with decent continuity and physicality and took the lead in the fifth minute with a drop goal by often elusive fly half Callum Irvine.

Despite the great commitment in defence by Otley centre Michael Coady, the visitors capitalised on a break by centre Alex Nesbitt, which put them deep in Otley territory in the 17th minute, flanker Tom Harvey getting a try which full back Lewis Minikin converted.

Coady showed his class with ball in hand three minutes later, Depledge taking a tap penalty, with the centre cutting through a gap and then dummying outside to cross himself, Depledge converting to cut the deficit to three points at 10-7.

Centre James White was pulled back for a forward pass when almost through, and winger Alex Beaumont had a try disallowed for failing to ground the ball properly before Depledge gave Otley a 13-10 half-time lead with penalties in the 27th and 33rd minutes.

However, Harrogate were in the ascendancy for the first 20 minutes of the second half, winger Sam Bottomley hitting the ball at pace to go over for a try in the 51st minute, Minikin converting before going over himself seven minutes later after good hands by scrum half Daniel Matthews and replacement Tom Larder.

Otley then gave themselves a losing bonus point when replacement hooker Will Rigg barrelled his way over in the 63rd minute, Depledge's conversion making the deficit two points at 22-20, but as the derby wound down it was Harrogate who looked the more likely to add to their tally.