TWO teams from the same club squaring up to one another in a cup tie was never going to provide a great spectacle and so it proved, as Otley faced their Reserve team.

The Firsts started brightly and soon went in front, with Harry Hawkins picking the ball up in the inside left position, smartly cutting back on to his right, before firing home.

But the rest of the half was a lot of huff and puff with neither side really taking control. Mitch Lambert Tuthill smashed a powerful shot on to the post but that was as near as the Firsts would come. In fairness to the Reserves, they weren’t showing any sense of inferiority and giving as good as they got.

And their industry was rightly rewarded just before the break when Erik Arter shot home through a crowded area.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with the Reserves equalling their senior counterparts. For the Firsts there was minimum goalmouth incident and anything that they threw at Reserves’ was comfortably dealt with by the keeper.

Then midway through the half ,out of nothing, full back Tristan Holdsworth made a good break on the right and scored when his goal bound shot was deflected past the stranded keeper.

Just after this setback the Reserves were given a lifeline when Ryan Cox needlessly got himself involved in a slanging match with the ref and was sent off.

His persistent abuse meant the ref awarded two yellow cards and that was the early bath for Cox. With a player advantage the reserves had a chance but if anything they lost momentum and couldn’t take advantage.