In what was one of the best performances of the season to date, Otley comfortably getting the better of third placed Hinckley.

Whilst the Otley lost the kick-off, after 2 minutes were on the front foot after both forwards and backs interlinked, Joe Graham crashing over under the posts. Ben Smith converted. Hinckley then had Otley under pressure for the next 10 minutes and came close, but Otley’s defence was resolute. Having weathered the stormed, Otley pressed forward and gradually exerted their game plan onto the match. At the end first quarter, a loose back pass in Hinckley’s 22 was seized upon by Stephen Nolson who ran over to score, Smith adding the extras.

Hinckley reduced the deficit having put a penalty into the corner, and then worked the ball across the pitch making room for Ryan Hough to go over. On 37 minutes Otley get a penalty at the scrum which Smith slotted through the posts.

After the starting the second half, Alex Beaumont took an aerial kick in his own half which Otley moved forward, Graham getting his second try. Hinckley aren’t third for a reason and tested Otley to the full, and tested Otley to the full. Otley broke out through a combination of debutant Tom De Glanville, Alex Beaumont and Daniel Adu but the home side were penalized for holding on just before the line. After 55 minutes, Otley got their fourth try on the back on some Hinckley pressure. From the back of scrum solid work by Otley pushed the visitors back, Ben Magee scoring in the clubhouse corner.

Hinckley continued to press and were rewarded when they got a five metre scrum, Mitchell Lamb came close but it was Gareth Tuner who scored with 9 minutes to go, Joe Wilson getting his second conversion.

For the remainder of this entertaining game, both sides continued to give everything. Otley coming close to getting a fifth try but the ball squirted out just short of the line.

Hinckley's report is at wine to water

Photos of the match are courtesy of John Ashton https://shop.ickledot.uk/g/otleyvhinckley2018/. Thanks go to him.

The last time Otley won four consecutive matches, getting four tries in each match as well, in a league season was in April 2010. We were in National 1 at the time. We were looking to avoid relegation and had home wins against Stourbridge, Newbury and Blaydon, together with an away win against Nuneaton. We stayed up.