ALTHOUGH Otley were unable to maintain their momentum for the whole game, they should have left Dore Moor with something on Saturday.

Sheffield Tigers kicked off towards the sun, and after a short kicking game Otley took the game to the Tigers with ball in hand. Within 90 seconds of the game starting, they were awarded a penalty just outside the opposition 22, Gavin Stead’s kick giving Otley the lead.

Defensively Otley were looking good, and rarely let Sheffield encroach deep into their half. A run by Ben Waddington followed by an Eddie Crossland territorial kick gave the hosts a line-out within five metres of their line, and although Sheffield were able to clear their lines, Otley gained a line-out just outside the opposition 22. For the second time the line-out was iffy, but luckily for Otley the ball was then knocked on giving them a scrum.

From there the visitors’ forwards did the hard graft moving the ball towards the posts, before Rory Gaffney sent the ball left towards the line, Sam Taylor then passing to Tom Parnell who bypassed the remaining defenders to score in the corner.

Five minutes later, after a line-out on the half-way line Sheffield were able to manipulate a gap through the Otley line, Sam Wager getting the ball to left-winger Jim Norman close to the touchline who then came in to score under the posts. Will Baker added the conversion. Four minutes later Otley conceded a penalty in the middle of their half, Baker’s conversion giving Tigers the lead.

Both sides were guilty of infringements having given away a penalty thereby being marched back ten metres, but neither were able to take advantage of the extra distance.

Just as the half hour was coming up, from a scrum on their 22 Otley moved the forward getting into the Tigers’ lair where the hosts conceded a penalty, a quick tap-and-go continued the advance which ended with Waddington scoring in the corner giving the lead back to the visitors.

The remainder of the half was played within the Otley half, until Ben Dinsdale and Taylor launched separate attacks. However, the away side conceded a penalty on the half way line and whilst play continued for a while, the referee came back for the penalty. Sam Baker took full advantage to make the half-time score 13-13.

The sun had been clouded out for the start of the second half. Otley conceded a penalty within eight metres of their half, Baker taking the score to 16-13 three minutes into the half. A Crossland 50:22 fell tantalisingly short of the 22 post, although Dan Preston-Routledge took the line-out ball and Otley moved the ball into the centre where they gained a high-tackle penalty. Stead’s kick levelled the score on 52 minutes.

Otley knocked the ball on in a line-out on their five-metre line, and while Tigers got over the line Taylor’s arm prevented them for scoring. However, Otley had conceded a penalty at the scrum and having opted for another scrum, this time the Tigers made sure with centre Barney Goatley finding the ground just before the hour mark. Five minutes later an Otley line-out gave the South Yorkshire outfit possession and then a penalty, from where Baker extended the host’s lead.

With around 15 minutes to go Otley had the time to make up the eight-point deficit, and they spurned two penalty opportunities around Tiger’s 22 line before conceding penalties themselves. Nevertheless, Otley were keeping Tigers penned in their half and with less than two minutes to go Waddington’s 35 metre run was stopped just short of the line by Oli Butterworth.

Otley kept possession and moved the ball across the pitch where it was then caught and dropped with an unhindered view of the line, and the hosts held on to a 24-16 victory.