SPURRED on by a sizeable contingent of supporters in the crowd of 847, Otley again showed last Saturday that they can be competitive away from home.

The National League Two North derby at Wharfedale might have ended in a 27-17 defeat, but it was only when Greens right winger Robbie Davidson picked Jamie Guy's pin-point crossfield kick out of the air to score his second try in the 72nd minute that the hosts were assured of victory.

Otley's away record this season now reads played nine, won one (17-13 over Sheffield Tigers last month), lost eight, but their director of rugby Peter Clegg can see that the trends are going in the right direction, and said: "We are scoring points and tries so I am not worried.

"We are only 16 points above a relegation place, but we are okay."

Also eight of their remaining 14 matches are at Cross Green, where Otley have won seven out of seven contests so far this season.

Otley's Achilles heel last weekend was their inexperience in important places, with Clegg saying: "Seven, eight, nine and ten are key decision-making positions, but we hope to have Max Johnson (scrum half), Nick Coupland (fly half) and Freddie Watson (skipper and No 8) back in the new year."

Former Otley backs coach James Doherty, who now coaches Wharfedale, said of the result: "I am delighted.

"We gave one of our most complete performances, the players responded and I was really happy with the first half.

"We felt that we could move them around the park by playing the phases, and we were in control in the second half.

"Our half-backs Phil Woodhead and Jamie Guy were excellent, and Phil just shaded it for man of the match.

"He is just coming back from injury, although you wouldn't have known it, while Jamie is also and has been playing more at 12 than ten this season.

"We also went well in the set-piece, with all of the front row doing well, James Huck and Ian Larkin coming off the bench to replace Toms Asejevs and Dan Stockdale."

Prop Joe Altham also played for 80 minutes, as did Otley hooker Luke Chadwick and experienced prop Adam Blades.