REPORT BY: NICK DOYLE

SHEFFIELD haven’t lost at Abbeyvale for nearly a year, and so it proved again against Otley on Saturday afternoon as they swept aside the visitors.

The hosts kicked off with the wind behind them and kept Otley penned in their own half for the first five minutes. Sheffield had an early chance to score from a 5-metre line-out but, having failed to find a way through the visitor’s defence, a loose pass drifted into touch.

Two penalties committed by Sheffield got Otley into the opposite half and, with another penalty advantage, made it into the 22. Kicking to the other side of the pitch, the visitors lost the ball at the line-out but soon had it back again only to face a solid Sheffield defence. Otley’s move broke down with an unlucky knock-on.

With the game on again, Sheffield were quickly out of their half with Callum Posa putting Cammy Catleugh through a hole in the Otley defence.

The ball was then worked to Elliott Fisher who raced to the posts, but Eddie Crossland grabbed the scrum-half’s shirt on the shoulder and dragged him down five metres out. The referee had no option but to award both a penalty try and a yellow card.

Sheffield were quick to extend their lead, turning over the ball at the breakdown before moving deeper into Otley’s half – a forward pass halting their advance.

Otley moved the ball away from the scrum and then tried to kick for distance, but Will Burden charged it down and then ran to the line to touch it down between the posts. Fisher added the conversion.

Another high tackle by Otley in their left-hand corner gave the hosts a line-out from where Sheffield powered their way to the line, Rhodri Campbell diving over on 24 minutes.

Now back up to full strength, the visitors again tried to find their way to the line, but Sheffield weren’t obliging. The game remained in Otley’s half, until Will Derry burst out and reached the host’s 22 where Sheffield were caught offside.

Joe Rowntree put the ball between the posts to open Otley’s account with five minutes left in the half.

But the hosts weren’t done. In a repeat of their previous try, but in the other corner, Campbell got the bonus try for Sheffield to make the half-time score 26-3.

The next try, again for Sheffield, came within 30 seconds of the restart. They moved the ball from one side of the pitch to the other within their 22 before setting off, George Castledine running down the right flank before passing to Billy Wara who completed the remaining 35 metres untouched.

Otley took the game to Sheffield and, from a penalty line-out on Sheffield’s 22, came close but lost possession with the hosts then running out.

Still in Sheffield’s half, they had another line-out mid-way down. Alex Johnson caught the ball and five passes later it was with Jacob Holmes. He raced towards the line, suggesting he was always about to pass, but kept going to dot down. Rowntree added the conversion.

A 20-metre rolling maul in Otley’s half was the precursor to Sheffield’s next try, although they had to go to both sides of the pitch to find an opening, Jake Hicklin finding it with Fisher adding his third conversion.

In the Otley 22, Sheffield continued to press for another one, opting for a series of tap-and-goes and scrums, but Otley were up for the challenge and kept them out.

A penalty to Otley got them out of their half, and then swift running got them into the opposition 22. Moving the ball across the pitch, Finn Warren-Lambert and Ben Waddington coming close in the left-hand corner, but it was Harry Butler stretching over the ruck who scored his debut try.

Otley continued to further narrow the gap and came close twice. With the ball over the line but an accidental offside gave Sheffield a 5-metre scrum instead, and right at the death a forward pass close to the line gave Sheffield another scrum, which they kicked behind the dead-ball line to kill the game.

The second-half score was 12-12, but it was that 10-minute period in the first half when Sheffield scored 21 points that did it for Otley.

Otley entertain Preston Grasshoppers this weekend at Cross Green, kick-off 3.00pm.