REPORT BY: NICK DOYLE

OTLEY outplayed Fylde to gain their highest ever league win against the Lancashire side, scoring six tries in the process on Saturday afternoon.

Having kicked off, Gavin Stead made an early break into the visitor’s 22 but a retreating defender was able to snaffle his pass and get the ball away. Otley were keeping Fylde penning in their half, and Fylde were caught offside although the penalty attempt was short.

Otley regained possession as Fylde tried to break out and, having tried to score in the left-hand corner, moved the ball into the centre from where Ben Waddington went over. Joe Rowntree added the conversion on five minutes.

Fylde made progress into Otley’s half and were then held up under the posts. They continued to press their case, aided by Otley’s mounting penalty count.

Their pack drove the hosts back some 15 metres where Stead was given a yellow card for a high tackle, Fylde kicking for the corner. Oli Parkinson caught the ball and two phases later Tye Raymont went over in the corner although the conversion was missed. In their next attack they made it to within a metre of Otley’s line, but in the ensuing ruck Otley regained possession.

A Fylde line-out on Otley’s 22 was overthrown, Ryan Gibson grabbing the ball and initiating an attack. Play moved to the 10-metre line where Ben Dinsdale scampered past three Fylde defenders into their half before he passed the ball to Clark Wells outside the 22 who had a clear path to the line. Rowntree slotted home the conversion.

Another Fylde line-out was taken by Waddington in his 22, and Otley moved play into the Fylde half. The initial attack broke down but, having recycled the ball, from 35 yards out Eddie Crossland weaved his way back to score beyond the posts with 30 minutes on the clock. The half ended with Otley 21-5 up.

Two minutes into the second half, Fylde were penalised for holding on 30 metres out with Rowntree‘s kick sailing through the posts. Five minutes later and still under pressure Fylde knocked on in their 22. From the scrum in front of the posts, after two wide passes saw Wells with plenty of space to score in the right-hand corner.

A penalty immediately after the restart was kicked into Otley’s 22 on the scoreboard side. They had to move it twice into the centre and back again before Freddie Deeks found the opening in the corner, his try converted by Greg Smith.

Having safely gathered the restart, Fylde were tackled and held onto the ball for too long, Gavin Stead belted the kick over to make the score 32-12, matching their previous highest score against Fylde.

Having had a scare in the scoreboard corner, and then taken a visitor’s line-out on the other side, from a line-out on their 10-metre line Otley launched another attack. Adam Malthouse passed the ball to George Bowen in their half who thundered on before he connected with Stead who completed the move – conversion as well. Otley’s sixth try came four minutes later after a scrum in Fylde’s half when their backs took control. Louis Martin went over, those points overtaking Fylde’s highest score against Otley earlier in the season. Stead was again on target with the conversion.

With a quarter of the match still to play, further points were expected but it was the Lancastrians that found them. Otley again went down to 14 after Michael Graham failed to roll away, and the kick went into the corner. Captain Ben Gregory marshalled his forwards to see him over the line. Fylde managed a manufacture a carbon copy try with the last move of the game to give them a bonus point, both conversions missing as the hosts claimed a 46-22 victory.