REPORT BY: NICK DOYLE

OTLEY’S winning run came to an end at Lightfoot Green, although they did manage to pick up two valuable bonus points.

It was a hard-fought game, both sides sharing a penalty in the first half before the tries began to flow and just one penalty separated the two sides at the end.

Otley got into the Hoppers’ 22 first but gave up possession when they failed to release. Preston then attacked Otley’s 22 after a second penalty, although Otley were able to clear their lines and pushed the opposition back into their half.

The ball was moved under Otley’s sticks where the visitors conceded a penalty, Hunt opening the scoring after nine minutes.

For the next five minutes, Otley rebuffed Preston’s advances in their half before Ben Waddington’s run took play into the hosts’ half. Play stayed in that half for the next quarter of an hour, apart from a small blip which didn’t touch Otley’s ten metre line, culminating with Otley pummelling Preston’s line. The visitors’ pressure finally told when Preston strayed offside in front of the posts, Joe Rowntree levelling the scores on 29 minutes.

The remainder of the half was split between the two halves, with Otley getting closest to the whitewash. A late surge by Preston took them back to Otley’s 22, but they lost hold of the ball allowing Rowntree to kick into touch bringing the half to an end.

Callum Irvine kicked off the second half and after an initial exchange, Preston had a line-out just outside their 22. From there they moved the ball left and, from behind his ten metre line, Spence made his way to Otley’s line evading tacklers as he went. Hunt’s conversion attempt bounced off the upright.

Having regained possession on the half-way line, Otley crept forward before Wells’ 30-metre run upped the tempo from which he hit the try line. Three minutes later, Otley were back over the try-line after some neat interplay by their back line, Elliot Morgan finishing off the move in the left-hand corner to take the score to 13-8 to the visitors..

Hoppers reduced the deficit with a penalty after the restart when Otley were caught offside. Otley then got two penalties, one on Preston’s ten metre line and the second on their 22. Otley’s pack got close to the line in the left-hand corner before the ball was swung across the pitch and back again stretching the hosts’ defence, Wells getting his second unimpeded in the corner.

Four minutes later Preston had levelled the scores through a Josh Longson try under the posts converted by Hunt. Three minutes later Hunt scored after he chipped the Otley defence and his fly-half passing the caught ball back to him on Otley’s ten metre line, Hunt then having an easy run in.

But Otley were not out of it. From a line-out on Preston’s 22, they moved the ball left and right before Irvine’s run from outside their 22 took him to the line with tacklers unable to bring him down. Rowntree’s conversion drew Otley level for the second time at 25 – 25 with eight minutes to go.

Both sides battled to get the upper hand again and it was Preston who got it in front of Otley’s posts when the visitors’ were adjudged to have deliberately knocked the ball on – Hunt making no mistake .

With less than two minutes to go, Otley stole a Preston line out but try as they might could not get back into Hoppers’ half before the final whistle rang out.

Otley return to Cross Green this Saturday for a local derby match against Harrogate – kick off 2:30.