Otley 20 Harrogate 22

OTLEY may have ended the season with a whimper rather than a bang, losing their last six matches, but there has been no lack of excitement along the way.

A sequence that started with a one-point defeat to runaway champions Macclesfield on Saturday, March 26 also contained narrow defeats to Stourbridge (April 9), Luctonians (April 16) and finally old rivals Harrogate in a game that doubled up as a Yorkshire Cup quarter-final.

The Cross Greeners had a good day financially due to the Tour de Yorkshire women's and men's races passing through the town and would dearly liked to have rounded it off by defeating their derby rivals in a match that kicked off at 5.30pm because of the cycling.

However, Harrogate started off with decent continuity and physicality and took the lead in the fifth minute with a drop goal by often elusive fly half Callum Irvine.

The only fracas of the game came after eight minutes but, despite the great commitment in defence by Otley centre Michael Coady, the visitors capitalised on a break by centre Alex Nesbitt, which put them deep in Otley territory in the 17th minute, flanker Tom Harvey getting a try which full back Lewis Minikin converted.

Coady showed his class with ball in hand three minutes later, Depledge taking a tap penalty, with the centre cutting through a gap and then dummying outside to cross himself, Depledge converting to cut the deficit to three points at 10-7.

Centre James White was pulled back for a forward pass when almost through, and winger Alex Beaumont had a try disallowed for failing to ground the ball properly before Depledge gave Otley a 13-10 half-time lead with penalties in the 27th and 33rd minutes.

However, Harrogate were in the ascendancy for the first 20 minutes of the second half, winger Sam Bottomley hitting the ball at pace to go over for a try in the 51st minute, Minikin converting before going over himself seven minutes later after good hands by scrum half Daniel Matthews and replacement Tom Larder.

Otley then gave themselves a losing bonus point when replacement hooker Will Rigg barrelled his way over in the 63rd minute, Depledge's conversion making the deficit two points at 22-20, but as the derby wound down it was Harrogate who looked the more likely to add to their tally.

Harrogate will now play Doncaster Phoenix in a semi-final on Thursday, May 12, with the winners facing National League Three North champions Sheffield Tigers, who edged out Sheffield 17-16 in the other semi-final.