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Guy Easterby whose well-timed pass led to a try for Otley

Cambridge 22 Otley 47 OTLEY kept their noses in front in the promotion battle in National Two when they took five points at Cambridge on Saturday.

With three sides running neck and neck for promotion it was essential that Otley took all five points against a side who had lost at home just once this season.

That was against Stourbridge, and Otley matched them with a resolute approach which had them in command for most of the game.

Otley went to sleep for a few minutes in the second-half when 35-10 ahead to concede two tries but they fired back with two of their own, killing off any ideas of a recovery by the home side.

With skipper Ian Shuttleworth restored to full-back, Robin Kitching appeared on the wing and he was soon brought into action with a penalty chance 41 metres out which he stroked over with ease. He follwed this with a much easier one in the 18th minute.

By this time Cambridge knew they were up against a superior pack and this was proved when good support play ended with prop Kris Fullman racing over. Cambridge struck back on 24 minutes when a penalty gave them a throw-in 22 metres out and Otley were caught a defender short when full-back Adam Barnard came up on the outside.

A third penalty for Kitching, this from 49 metres, was followed by a classy try. A well-timed pass from Guy Easterby put his outside-half Alastair Monks through a gap to race away, flanker Matt Stockdale following on his shoulder to finish off.

Kitching added the conversion but the hosts struck back just before the break when scrum-half Stefan Liebenberg took a tap penalty 20 metres out to send winger Philip Reed over.

Resuming with confidence, Otley camped in the opposition half, and when Rob Whatmuff was held up on the line, No 8 Max Lewis drove over from the resulting scrum.

Kitching converted this and his own try 11 minutes later when he took a long pass on the half-volley to go over in the corner.

Then came the minor setback when Liebenberg slipped through the defence and, from a five-metre scrum under the posts, replacement fly-half Luke Fielden, having converted the try, found a gap to go through.

Otley then wrapped up the game when the pack drove infield from a line-out to go over near the posts, Ryan Wederell grounding, and an incisive break by Dan Hyde opened the way for centre Paul Mooney to power over.

2:31pm Monday 14th April 2008

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