National League Two North: Otley 23 Macclesfield 17

STILL struggling with injuries, Otley's director of rugby Peter Clegg introduced two new faces - fly half Dan Smith and centre Mark Parlow - who fitted in seamlessly.

With the return of strong, speedy winger Nazir Karim, the hosts started with power and style, commanding the game for the first half-hour and taking a 15-0 lead, only to relax and find themselves in arrears.

The forwards soon got the measure of the bigger Macclesfield pack and, after ten minutes, won a penalty which new boy Smith knocked over.

Five minutes later, a fine rolling maul ended with hooker Joe Graham breaking off to power over, with Smith adding the conversion.

Then Karim, always calling for the ball and putting in some promising runs, was given the ball after a turnover in the home 22 to burst to halfway before handing on to the support and then take a return pass and charge through to the line.

The visitors, meanwhile, had looked a competent side but had failed to get out of their own half until, on 33 minutes, accurate passing took them to the Otley line, where prop Tom Mantell was on hand to crash over, with centre Lewis Barker converting.

And they quickly added a second try, winger Myles Hill going in at the corner.

The slender three-point lead lasted just two minutes into the second half, with Barker going over, but it was soon retrieved by a Smith penalty, and from thereon Otley settled down, once more taking charge with winger Alexander Beaumont sealing the victory with a 77th-minute try.