Otley get huge lift from late Kitching penalty

5:07pm Sunday 30th March 2008

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Otley 20, Redruth 18

The sight of Otley prop Steve Trethewey embracing a prone scrum half Guy Easterby after the final whistle yesterday is something that will live long in the memory.

But the impromptu celebration was entirely understandable after the National League Two leaders managed to claw a victory from the jaws of defeat on an afternoon of persistent rain.

Redruth, who for long periods looked the more likely to win, had succumbed to a penalty by Robin Kitching in the ninth minute of injury time.

And all this after Otley's full back had missed with an effort from a similar position near Redruth's ten-metre line four minutes previously.

With Manchester winning at home 27-7 against the other promotion candidates Stourbridge, it means that Otley's lead at the top has been cut to a point but, more crucially, they are six points ahead of third-placed Stourbridge with three games left.

The Cornishmen got a rousing reception from their fans in the grandstand and started much the better downwind, fly half Gareth Griffiths putting them ahead with a penalty in the third minute after Otley were offside.

Just two minutes later, Otley created their first opportunity, No 8 Max Lewis bursting through the middle and finding fly half Alastair Monks in support but the attack ended when winger Kyle Dench lost the ball near the 22.

Kitching's kick from near his own line failed to find touch but they escaped from a period of Redruth pressure on the back of that when Griffiths slid a 14th-minute penalty across the face of the posts.

Otley lost second row Paul Williams to a shoulder injury in the 22nd minute and, although they continued to employ the pick and drive, they tended to lose possession at vital moments.

However, in the 33rd minute, centre Rob Whatmuff broke a tackle in midfield, flanker Dan Hyde taking the attack on before Williams' replacement Xavier Andre went through a gap for a try.

Kitching's conversion made it 7-3 but they trailed at half-time.

Scrum half Guy Easterby's pass was intercepted by his opposite number Mark Richards in the 40th minute and, although Monks got back to tackle the Redruth player, they never cleared their lines before centre Alan Paul Thirlby went over two minutes later, Griffiths converting.

The lead didn't last long, however, Redruth being offside a minute into the second half for Kitching to land an equalising penalty.

Winger Danny Smith was needed to cover after another Otley pass had been intercepted and then a try was rightly turned down for offside after a cross-kick to the left had put Rob Thirlby over.

Referee Andrew Taylorson seemed to get in the way of Otley's attempts to tackle in the 59th minute, but, fortunately for the hosts, Redruth centre Petaia Gidlow was held up over the line.

Two minutes later, Otley hooker Ben Steele was sin-binned for interfering from an offside position, and Griffiths' penalty put Redruth 13-10 ahead.

The visitors then lost second row Nathan Pascoe to a serious facial cut and Otley regained the lead four minutes later.

Monks made a break in left midfield and the attack was switched right for Kitching to cross and add a superb conversion.

Otley were ahead 17-13 with 12 minutes to go but the advantage only lasted seven minutes as Rob Thirlby went over on the left.

It was a painful score, however, for the left winger suffered a suspected broken leg, Dench being sin-binned for sliding in to try and prevent the score, the Otley winger claiming afterwards there was no malice intended.

Kitching's 85th-minute penalty miss seemed to indicate it wasn't to be Otley's day but he made no mistake four minutes later to clinch an unlikely victory.

Monks, who was the only Otley back to make clean breaks, said: "We knew this was a big game and we knew they would be tough up front, but, because of the weather, that played into our hands a bit.

"We matched them up front in the first half, playing off nine and ten and the forwards, and with the wind behind us in the second half, we played for position and got the result.

"I had my fingers crossed for Robin's last kick after he had missed the previous one, but he kicked it no bother and we knew that all we had to do from the restart was get the ball off the pitch, which we did.

"I enjoyed it and when the game opened up in the second half there were one or two spaces and Guy put me in a few times."

Redruth's head coach Nigel Hambly said: "You are always going to feel disappointed when you lose to the last kick of the game, and there are a few guys with tears in the changing room, but the thing we take away from here is our performance, which was outstanding from all 19 of our players.

"I am not being biased but I think that everyone who watched the game realised that the best team lost.

"We showed that we are better than our (11th) position in the table suggests but credit to Otley. They are not top of the league for nothing and they played for 80 minutes.

"It takes a lot of bottle to win a game that you think you have lost. They played a fairly limited game but they are well drilled."