National League Two North: Otley 34, Caldy 33

ONCE more taking on one of the top three, Otley found themselves requiring changes on the wing as the injuries continued to mount.

But how well did these replacements perform, Toby Harris scoring a try and James Wood, who has been playing at flanker in his years away from Cross Green, bagging a hat-trick.

It was a pulsating game, with each side having their good spells, and it was the visitors who struck first  on ten minutes, breaking through from a scrum on halfway for winger Nicholas Royle to squeeze in at the corner.

Then scrum half John Broxson found a gap following a forward drive seven minutes later, fly half Ben Elliot converting.

Caldy were playing confidently but on the half-hour Otley came to life, smart passing taking them upfield where Wood's pace saw him evade three tacklers to cross wide out, Stephen Depledge adding the conversion.

But Caldy were allowed to catch their re-start and Royle swept in for a second try, which was duly converted.

The excitement far from over, however, as the re-start was secured, Sam Allan racing up the middle from full back to take a pass and scorch through.

Otley, allowed to catch the kick-off which failed to travel ten metres, scored again after another great run by Wood, Depledge converting to level matters at 19-19.

However, two minutes later, Caldy moved ahead when winger Forbes Edwards ran in following a scrum on halfway.

Four minutes after the break, Harris’s second try, which was converted, levelled the scores again, and a third from Wood reflected the game’s changing pattern but Depledge’s missed conversion looked critical when Caldy produced a second converted try from Edwards for a 33-31 advantage with ten minutes remaining.

Otley worked hard but the visitors' defence somehow stood the strain until the final minute when Depledge, faced with a penalty 28 metres out, stroked the ball effortlessly over to seal a fine win.