Otley 25 Hinckley 12

HINCKLEY’S plan was to boss the game by way of their big forwards and they found conditions eminently suitable for this approach after a week of heavy rain had softened the immaculate Cross Green pitch.

It meant the surface cut up and that made progress difficult. To their credit, they nullified Otley’s efforts throughout a fiery first half.

Thankfully, the tremendous home defence were up to the job, restricting them to a single score up to the break before taking command.

It did not look good for Otley when they conceded a free-kick at the first scrum but they balanced that up at the next.

Otley opened the scoring when full back Tom Hodson landed a 40-metre penalty after 18 minutes at a rare venture into the Hinckley half.

There were instances of attacking play from Otley but they were mainly involved in constructing a barrier in their 22.

Their resolute rearguard was finally breached after 31 minutes while prop Tipi Lomakivalu was resting in the sin bin after receiving a yellow card.

Scrum half Alexander Crocker sneaked over for a try that full back Conor Bullivant converted.

The visitors continued to press forward but to no avail as Otley stood their ground, finding themselves just a slender four points in arrears at the break.

The ten-minute rest transformed Otley. They returned the kick-off with a high ball which gave their chasers the opportunity to gain possession.

Unfortunately it was knocked on under the posts but within four minutes Hodson hit his second goal.

When Hinckley were penalised for a deliberate knock-on, Otley kicked for position. Clean line-out ball, a pleasing feature of the game, set up strong pressure which resulted in scrum half Max Johnson darting over. Hodson again converted.

An Otley drive to the visitors’ line appeared to have been halted but flanker Tom O’Donnell broke to score a try which Hodson converted.

Looking ragged and losing their discipline, Hinckley found themselves without centre Jay Murray and full back Bullivant to yellow cards.

Otley took advantage by creating a try for replacement lock Jack Scott-Paul in the 77th minute. The game was almost over when a lapse of concentration enabled Hinckley replacement Alexander Branson to score a last-minute try.