Luctonians withstood a second-half onslaught from Otley to eventually run out winners in a tense game that could have gone either way.

The first time minutes were more like a game a chess as both sides tested each other out, and eventually Otley appeared to be in the ascendancy. Tiploma Kivalu took the first line-out against the head, and the visitors later got a penalty just outside the hosts’ 22 which was missed. However in the twelfth minutes Ollie Allsop fed Frank Kelly and, with some weak tackling, he was able to go over. Three minutes later Otley went further behind when a high ball was lost in the take and Will Hodnett had an easy run in, John Morris adding both conversions.

Morris added a penalty shortly afterwards, although there was sufficient in the game for Otley to mount a fight back. Their efforts were rewarded just after the half hour when a good move between Jack Blakeney-Edwards and Mike Coady saw Henry Roberts, Jack getting his first points for the club with the conversion.

A penalty try after 34 minutes for pulling down the maul at the first attempt, together with a yellow card, saw Luctonians extend their lead.

Otley came out with a lot more purpose in the second half and had much of the possession, with Jack Mackie and Mike Coady causing the hosts a lot of problems. Otley’s pressure began to tell and from a line-out in Luctonians’ 22 which they rumbled over, but were adjudged to have been held up. The ball was then worked across the pitch and back again before Tiploma Kivalu forced his way over. Ten minutes Otley were awarded their own penalty try for exactly the same reasons they conceded one in the first half, and there was then just three points in it.

However, Otley’s possible became more difficult when they gave away a penalty some 40 metres out, and then again on their 10 metre line, with John Morris successfully converting both. This meant Otley’s revival had been extinguished and the left Herefordshire without even a losing bonus point.