Otley 33

Sedgley Park 27

OTLEY achieved victory with a first-half hat-trick for Dave Scully, not his first but he cannot recall the year of his last, each time rising from a bunch of forwards after happily joining the melee.

Nathan Bland also touched down for a try, running slightly further, breaking away from a well-controlled drive to make the hard yards to the line aptly demonstrating Otley's first intention was to claim a victory.

By playing to their strength they had Sedgley Park reeling. Without substantial props, Justin Wring and Kris Fullman, Steve Trethewey and Ben Fear were faced with little chance of respite, although Colin Yates, on loan for the second time from Driffield, did make a brief appearance when Trethewey was sin-binned.

They performed magnificently as the home forwards completely outplayed their guests and a big win was on the cards.

Unfortunately two consecutive yellow cards, injuries and tactical substitutions to keep all the squad up to match tempo caused more upset than they should and the rhythm was lost, giving Sedgley Park an opportunity they never envisaged and one they exploited, scoring three tries in the final 15 minutes to claim a bonus point whilst putting the nerves of the home supporters severely on edge.

Those nerves were jangling at the start, so important was a win. They were quickly soothed when Otley drove back the kick-off and received a penalty just over half-way, which Simon Binns plonked into the corner where Scott Connor, playing in the second row, for the second time after a further penalty, took cleanly as he was to do throughout in addition to his majestic play in the loose and set up the successful drive.

Five minutes later Binns pinged a long penalty onto the visitors' 22 and once again the drive was pulled down, bringing a warning from Mr Damasco, but the result was another touchdown for Scully.

The backs were not being neglected and Robin Kitching, making a start on the wing with Robert Whatmuff moving to centre at the expense of Paul Mooney, took a quick short pass from the blind-side of a drive to beat the cover, just being hauled down short.

A kick downfield, more in expectation than plan, was touched down by full-back Tom Rock. Binns chose a tap drop-out which was not gathered and in the scramble a penalty was conceded, which Phil Jones, a much travelled fly-half, Wigan, Orrell and many more teams of each code, duly kicked, but Otley quickly reasserted themselves. Tiring of warnings the referee showed hooker Paul Keys yellow and the penalty kick had the visitors back on their 22. They had no answer to the drive nor could they stop Bland when he broke for the line to give Binns a better chance to convert on this windy day.

A comfortable first-half lead was established when Scully got his third and when the speedy Kitching was tackled into touch following a cross-field move, soon after the break, it led to a penalty from Binns.

There appeared to be no threat until, on 53 minutes, Glen Wilson was given ten minutes and Jones kicked the resultant penalty. A penalty took them within 15 metres of the line and after four surges had failed, the ball was released and Bland was out wide on the wing to take the final pass and stretch over.

Apenalty for Trethewey's indiscretion was put into touch and numerical advantage saw the visitors drive over, Jones converting. But a penalty from Scully eased the tension, only for the home defence to go AWOL, letting winger John Feeley weave a way through to the posts.

Then the forwards suffered the ignominy of being driven back over their line again, No 8 Sam Anania claiming his second try, but happily Jones's third conversion signalled the end of play.