REPORT BY: NICK DOYLE

SHEFFIELD came from behind right at the death to take the points off Otley at the weekend.

However, they got off to an ideal start having kicked-off. Sheffield dropped Eddie Crossland’s kick, and Otley managed to get the ball back at the scrum to move it along the line twice looking for a gap.

Sheffield were eventually caught offside, giving Gavin Stead an easy three points in front of the posts.

Sheffield came straight back after Otley were penalised at the scrum, No 8 Ryan Burrows opting to run it to start their first attack. With some good lines, the home side were able to breach Otley’s defence with flanker Matt Adcock touching down. Elliot Fisher then added the conversion.

Otley were able to keep Sheffield in their own half for the next quarter of an hour but giving too many penalties away meant they couldn’t press home the advantage.

When Sheffield did break out, another Otley penalty some 20 metres from the uprights saw Fisher extend the Blues lead.

Now camped in Sheffield’s half, it was the hosts turn to concede a penalty which Stead slotted through the posts after 28 minutes. A good cross-field thwarted the visitors’ next attack, and set up the hosts’ own.

Good defence by Otley frustrated Sheffield as the home side moved the ball from right to left, finally hanging onto the ball for too long in the tackle.

The half ended with Sheffield in Otley’s 22 with a line-out from which they mounted a series of attacks, helped by Otley going offside again for which they got a yellow. Nevertheless, Otley’s defence was pushing Sheffield back outside their 22 where they knocked on, making the half-time score 10-6.

Fisher missed an early penalty after Sheffield had kept Otley penned in their half.

Otley then ran the ball from their 22 to the other end of the pitch and, despite stiff resistance and good tackling, were able to keep up the momentum. Sheffield finally gave away a penalty in the corner, scrum half Rory Gaffney took a quick tap and then dived over from short range to dive over for his debut try.

Having absorbed the restart, Crossland’s kick gave the territory back to Otley. After a miscued line-out by Sheffield, Otley mounted another attack which ended with a push-over try on the other side of the pitch by Adam Malthouse which Crossland converted after 65 minutes.

Sheffield’s reply was nearly instant but for a foot in touch, although they did reduce the deficit on 74 minutes after their forwards had tried in vain to breach Otley’s line.

Releasing that avenue was shut, they changed tactics and got the ball out to Tainne Finn who scored in the left hand corner.

With just three points between the two sides now, there was everything to play for. Although Otley conceded a penalty at the breakdown, Sheffield’s throw wasn’t straight which allowed the visitors to get out of their 22 and into the opposition’s half, Stead being pushed into touch bringing their attack to an end.

From that line-out, Sheffield mounted one final attack knowing it was their final opportunity and Matt Adcock, despite the attentions of two Otley players, powered his way over after three minutes of time added on. Sheffield had stolen a very unlikely win, 20-18.