Otley 23

Cornish Pirates 19

Otley turned the formbook upside down with a great victory over joint leaders Cornish Pirates, who came full of expectancy after their 39-0 win on the opening day of the season.

The confident Cornishmen had sent a below-strength side to lowly Waterloo, where they suffered a surprise defeat, but they took no chances this time only to find an Otley side keen to show that, after a couple of disappointing results, they are an excellent combination.

Howard Parr was welcomed back into the second row but No 8 Maifea Maifea had to be drafted into the centre, such was the extent of the injury list, but the combination was a success.

Italian fly half Alberto Di Bernado made excellent use of the strong diagonal wind but his forwards met their match in the close-quarter exchanges.

It was Otley who looked the more dangerous and Simon Binns had an early opportunity with a penalty, only to misjudge the wind, but winger Robin Kitching opened the scoring in the 28th minute when, after coming infield to support a break from the base of a scrum 40 metres out and the Pirates falling offside when he was halted, he snapped up the loose ball to drop a goal while the referee was playing advantage.

When flanker Chris Cracknell was shown a yellow card after 38 minutes, Binns made no mistake but the joy of the home supporters was short lived as Di Bernado struck a brace of penalties, the first involving a yellow card for home centre Paul Mooney, just before the break.

Two minutes into the second-half, a Di Bernado penalty put Pirates into the lead but it was now the turn of Binns to keep pinging the ball forward and, under great pressure, the visitors found themselves heaved back over their line, Parr getting the touchdown.

But a penalty at the restart enabled them to get a five-metre line-out and a straightforward drive put Cracknell over to move the Pirates ahead once again.

Otley were able to handle everything the Cornish visitors could produce and, as they turned the screw, Binns kicked four penalties from all angles.

The hosts were thus able to ride a last-minute surge when second row Joe Beardshaw was driven over from a five-metre line-out.