Otley resumed their campaign with an early try against Burnage, the visitors having knocked on after the kick-off and they then conceded a penalty. From the 5 metre line-out Simon Willett got the ball to Luke Cole at the back and from there the Otley pack guided him over.

It was then Otley’s turn to concede a penalty in Burnage’s half, and the kick was put into the home side’s half. From the line-out on the right-hand side, Burnage moved the ball across the pitch before Grant Connon found the smallest of gaps just outside Otley’s 22 and he jinxed his way through, passing the ball to Stuart Oldham 5 metres out who went onto score. Connon added the conversion. Four minutes later Oldham had his second converted try, on the angle running onto Rhys Evans’s deft pass. Their next attack brought them a penalty after Otley held on for too long, Connon’s successful kick making the score 5-17 after 14 minutes.

Two penalties took Otley to Burnage’s 5 metre line, but a delayed pass from the line-out was knocked on and the momentum lost. Burnage cleared to outside their 22 for an Otley line-out. Otley attacked and Burnage, having already conceded a penalty, pulled the maul down. Otley scored again in a repeat of their first try. Having absorbed a Burnage attack which was frustrated when Otley took a scrum against the head, the remainder of the half was in Burnage’s back yard. A blatant ‘coming in from the side’ by Charlie Bray enabled Otley to attack from within the opposition’s 22. While Otley knocked-on in front of the posts, early engagement by Burnage gave Otley the put-in but the home side then conceded a penalty which was spliced. From the line-out just outside the 22, Will Burns took the ball which was then worked across the pitch before a high tackle halted the game. Otley put the ball into the right hand corner and, after a series of pick and goes by Otley, Burnage were just able to hold Adam Malthouse up over the line.

In the second half, Otley were a different team having heard Kyle Dench’s calm analysis of what they were doing wrong and more importantly what they needed to do. Within two minutes Otley had levelled the scores. From a line-out on Burnage’s 22 which came from them not rolling away, a 22 metre long rolling maul saw Malthouse rumble over to the right of the posts, Rowntree getting the conversion.

Callum Irvine’s territorial kicking kept the pressure on the visitors, both props prominent in the attacks. The initial casualty was Alex Becica who was given a yellow card ten metres from his line. Otley elected for a scrum and, having secured another penalty before the ball had left the base, moved the ball out to the left for Alex Beaumont to score in the corner after 53 minutes. After another Irvine kick, Alex Kerr forced the Burnage defender into touch just before his try line, and from the resultant line-out Otley set up another maul from which Cole went over for his third try. Otley’s sixth try came when Dan Preston-Routledge pinched a Burnage line-out deep in their 22, the subsequent play giving Malthouse the scope to score his second try and Rowntree his fourth conversion on 64 minutes.

A barrel-bomb kick from Irvine deep in his own half caused havoc in Burnage’s defence and they conceded a penalty just inside their half. From the line-out in the opposition 22, Otley tried to set up another maul but were prevented when a Burnage player lay in their path. From the next line-out, there were no issues and Luke Cole went over for his fourth.

There was just time to post the half-century when Rowntree dived over on the right just before the final whistle blew and, in the gathering gloom, he nailed a superb conversion.