REPORT BY: NICK DOYLE

OTLEY went to Cheshire to play Lymm last Saturday, a team yet to be beaten and one that had scored maximum points in every game this season.

In the opening minutes, Lymm gave away two penalties but having gone to the corner, Otley were unable to capitalize. In their first attack, Lymm’s backs were caught offside in Otley’s 22 with play moving to the half way line. Will Derry ran into the opposition 22, and Otley peppered the Lymm line but lost the ball in the tackle.

A 50:22 by Lymm into the left-hand corner ten minutes in set up an attacking position, their maul rumbling over the Otley line with prop Matty Hand getting the opening try. Two penalties got Lymm back into Otley’s red zone, where they got another penalty. From the right hand side, this time Lymm’s maul was a lot more direct with prop Rob Makin getting the honours, Tom Shard again on the target with his second conversion.

Eddie Crossland kicked a penalty in his own half into the Lymm 22, and from the line-out the Otley pack was held firm, so the ball went out. Toby Wilson was shown a yellow card for a high tackle just inside the Lymm 22 and Crossland got Otley onto the board after 25 minutes.

However, almost immediately Lymm were again troubling the scorers. From their 10 metre line, fly-half Shard kicked the ball through the Otley defence. Sam Wadsworth followed it through, kicked it on before catching it to dive over the line taking the score to 21-3 after the Shard conversion. Shard extended their lead when Otley were caught offside in their 22 in front of the posts. Nick Rigby got Lymm’s bonus point try bringing the half to an end.

Within two minutes of the restart, a Lymm scrum was the catalyst for a try, Callum Morris kicking into the right hand corner which Nathan Beesley ran onto to score. This was closely followed by a second for Rigby, Lymm having flown down the left hand flank.

With half an hour to go, Lymm were offside too many times and the referee gave them a group yellow. He gave it to Wilson meaning he was off the rest of the game. Crossland’s kick gave Otley a 5 metre line-out, Otley’s forwards crashing over in the corner with Harry Butler ball in-hand. The conversion attempt sailed across the face of the posts.

Lymm knocked on within 5 metres of Otley’s line and from the scrum the visitors were able to get out of their half. However, Lymm capitalised on a speculative pass by Otley moving the ball to the other side of the pitch. From there Beesley raced to the line virtually untouched. Three minutes later Lymm hit the half century, from deep within his own half Paddy Jennings bulldozing his way through the defenders on his way to the line, Shard getting the conversion.

Although the restart didn’t go the required ten, Otley got a penalty at the scrum and opted to quickly run the ball getting a penalty as they went. Crossland kicked into Lymm’s 22 from where his pack marched forward towards the line. They had a couple of phases on the line, Sam Connor touching down in the final melee with Crossland adding the conversion. With 13 minutes to go, Otley continued to look to reduce the deficit, another penalty at a scrum moving them into Lymm’s half. They were made to work hard but runs by Alex Johnson and Ben Waddington helped them get into Lymm’s 22 where the hosts conceded a penalty. Derry tried to make the remaining 20 metres from a tap and go but was held up close to the posts, nevertheless after two phases Butler got his second on the other side of the posts. Crossland’s conversion made the score 53-22.

Now with nine minutes to go, Otley were looking for one more try to take something away from this game. However, Lymm had other ideas keeping the game in the Otley half, until the visitors conceded a penalty on the half way line with the hosts kicking the ball into touch.

Otley play Chester next week at home, a team they haven’t lost to at Cross Green in over ten years. Kick-off 3.00pm.