For the first 15 minutes Otley had the territory but couldn’t make it count, and with issues at the scrum were a player light for 10 minutes. Having survived the onslaught, Harrogate got into Otley’s 22 for the first time eventually being bundled into touch in the right-hand corner. The Otley line-out ball went to Harrogate’s captain Sam Brady who, two steps later, went over unopposed. Rory Macnab extended their lead with a penalty on 21 minutes when Otley went offside in their 22.

For the remainder of the half, Otley continued to win the territorial battle and they came close twice, Ryan Gibson being held up over the line and a knock-on just prior to the line thwarted them. From the resultant scrum and with less than five minutes to go, Otley got a penalty having pushed ‘Gate back. After two further penalties in which the opposition conceded penalties, Otley got their first penalty try of the season and Harrogate a yellow.

The second half saw Otley steal the ball at the breakdown, moving the ball left. Having the advantage of two penalties, the ball came back to the right hand flank where Clark Wells’ pass seeing Ben Waddington dotting over in the corner after just two minutes. Joe Rowntree’s perfectly flighted conversion curved just in time to splice the posts.

Having been denied another try due to a forward pass and Harrogate’s clearance kick. From the line-out on the left, Otley moved the ball right with Clark Wells running around the opposition player to score in the corner on 48 minutes. Rowntree’s conversion was a replica of his first.

After a short kicking exchange after the restart, Callum Irvine started a trademark run from inside his half before he passed to Gavin Stead deep inside Harrogate’s half. Stead continued the run diving over to get Otley’s bonus point try which Rowntree converted.

Harrogate were starting to make forays into the Otley half, without really threatening – a penalty to touch going dead was the closest they got to Otley’s line. From the restart Otley attacked, and a crossfield kick by Eddie Crossland put the visitors under pressure and they conceded a penalty just outside their 22. Irvine added the three points just after the hour mark.

In the last minute of the game Chris Jackson forced his way over for a consolation try next to the posts, the drop-goal conversion attempt missed.