Otley’s line-out was at the best indifferent and their cover tackling, recently their strong point, failing at vital times. It also doesn’t help when you pass the ball to the opposition in your own 22, at times it was more like a clearance sale.

However, playing against the wind in the first half which was peppered with rain and sleet, it was Otley which started the brighter. Looking to have the push in the scrummages, although it did not last. Their adventurous outlook led to fatal errors, turnovers or penalties. They squandered promising positions with careless play. A scrum 10 metres out saw them lose possession, a rolling maul was held up on the Sale line and a kick and chase saw the ball just go dead.

Inevitably it was the home side who took the lead after 14 minutes. Having tried a blind pass the ball ended up in Sale hands, and they capitalised on this present. Gaining a scrum in Otley’s half, Sale winger John O’Donnell came inside to take a pass from his centre and, shrugged off tacklers to race to the line. Fly-half Liam McGovan added the conversion.

With half-time approaching, Otley were doing well to hold the home side, but a deliberate knock-on gave McGovan the chance to up the ante to 10-0.

It was now the turn of Sale to experience the difficulties presented by the wind and when trying to run out from their 22 they lost possession. From the base of a penalty line out, good hands across in front of Sale’s posts gave Neil Chivers the opening he needed to score his first since his return to the club. In another assault on the opposition’s line, Otley’s finishing let them down when forwards set up a drive. Unfortunately, they were penalised when they were over the line.

A second penalty at the subsequent line-out saw Otley forced back in their 22. Sale sensed their chance and their pack set up a 14-man try which got Rhys Davies over the line on the hour. The conversion was missed, and eight minutes later Josh Cruise reduced the deficit with a penalty. Sale’s response was swift and started in their own half, a break by Tom Ailes, supported by Adam Aignokhae and Matt Postlewaite, eventually saw Tom Davenport go over and McGovan converting.

With ten minutes to go Otley faced an uphill struggle and stepped up to the task. Following a scrum on Sale’s 22, James Wood showed some pace down the line to score. Otley’s persistence was rewarded in the final moments with a penalty in front of the posts which Josh Cruise stroked over to ensure Otley got a losing bonus point out the of the game.

With thanks to John Finch