National League Two North: Otley 36 Stourbridge 26

OTLEY went down to Stourbridge looking for the points to ensure their safety, and came away with one after a late rally.

Although it took them just over 50 minutes to trouble the scorer, by which time they were already 31-0 down, the score does not reflect the chances and territory that they had in the first half.

Had they been more clinical, and their hosts a little more obliging, Otley could have made a game of it.

The visitors made a good start but were adjudged to have passed the ball forward, and as time went on Stourbridge came into the game.

Joe Bridger broke from halfway and the hosts got a penalty after Otley held on but, fortunately for them, the kick went left of the post.

However, two minutes later flanker Nigel Mukarati went over.

Otley continued to attack but could not find a way through, an overlap being missed, while another visiting Otley was held up just before the line.

Stourbridge moved down the pitch with the aid of a penalty, which was kicked to the corner and, from the 27th-minute line-out, Ciaran Moore collected and went over almost unnoticed, Chris Scott adding the conversion.

Otley were still unable to find a way through and, just as the half-time whistle was about to blow, Moore and Mukarati combined to set up Nathan Tilsley, with Scott getting the conversion.

Within a minute of Stourbridge kicking off in the second half, they worked the ball along the line to the right corner, lock Chris Depper going over.

In the middle of an Otley attack, the ball was stolen and Joe Heatley made a diagonal run across Otley’s defence to put Dan Rundle trundlling over, Scott adding the extras to make it 31-0 as Otley were looking down a long tunnel.

However, from the restart, Otley got on the front foot and, from a line-out on Stourbridge's five-metre line, they set up the position for scrum half Max Johnson to put James White over, with Tom Hodson adding the conversion.

Then Otley got another five-metre line-out, with James Wood going over.

With six minutes to go, Otley got a scrum five metres out, and the ball was moved left for Hodson to run round from the corner and go under the posts, converting his own try.

Prop Tipiloma Kivalu went over for another try, but the referee had already blown for a penalty, with Stourbridge getting a yellow card for not releasing.

The penalty was kicked to the corner, and hooker Ben Steele was driven over for his 20th league try in the last minute to earn Otley a bonus point, with Hodson converting.