OLD Otliensians put in a spirited performance at Yorkshire Two leaders Northallerton but lost 33-10 to a team who had not beaten in more than 30 games.

On a dry bitterly cold day with a biting strong wind blowing across the pitch, the tough heavy Northallerton forwards took the early initiative and the first 15 minutes all took place in the visitors' 22. Only good defensive work from 'Ensians held them at bay.

However after 15 minutes a five metre scrum enabled the home team to drive over for an unconverted pushover try.

At every opportunity, 'Ensians opened out the ball, even in their own 22 but were thwarted when a home centre intercepted causing urgent defence.

After 27 minutes the defence cracked. A scrum taken by North was thwarted and a subsequent scrum held but the visitors' defence was stretched.

The home team kept play in their bulky forwards and they scored their second converted try with a neat unload to make it 12-0.

Not to be outdone, 'Ensians moved into the home half for the first time in the 30th minute, but when North came back 'Ensians showed great spirit in the tackle. Joe Armitage knocked a home player back five metres in a tackle and debutant Joe Warner was to the fore.

In the last five minutes of the half, the visitors stretched the home defence and were unlucky not to score.

First Josh Smith passed to Nick Hesketh who ran 20 metres only to be tackled inches short of the line. Next a penalty took play deep into the home half, captain Sam Featherstone gained fine line-out ball and scrum half debutant Ronan Maloney chipped over the defence and re-collected the ball but the ensuing pass went astray.

So half-time came with Northallerton leading 12-0.

Straight from the kick-off 'Ensians cleared the ball into the home 22, but the North winger gave a quick throw-in to himself and passed to the full back.

He kicked the ball high into the centre of the field, caught it himself and with the defence awry raced through to score a fine opportunist converted try.

For the next 20 minutes 'Ensians were in the ascendancy, for the most part in the home half.

After seven minutes they opened the ball across the pitch with both forwards and backs involved and going into the corner Connor Bateman slipped the ball to Paddy Phipps who crashed over for an unconverted try.

Then on 15 minutes, Bateman beat three tackles in a 50 metre break before passing to Olly Eaves, who when tackled was adjudged to be a fraction short of the line.

Sadly in the 20th minute North took a scrum against the head, and with the visitors' defence disorganised the astute stand off made the half break resulting in the home team scoring another converted try to increase their lead to 26-5 and earn the bonus point.

Despite this the visitors had the better of the second half. A fine kick by Ian Booth in the 62nd minute making 50 metres gave a foundation for a good attack and eight minutes later a move across the field resulted in an unconverted try for Will Cooper.

Then five minutes from time a sweeping move by the home team resulted in a converted try making the final score 33-10 to Northallerton.

JOHN CHURCHMAN