A FORMER player did all the damage against Otley as they lost 32-29 to the Sheffield Tigers at Cross Green on Saturday.

Ex-Otley player Mark Ireland scored six penalties for the Tigers as the result kept the Cross Green in the National League Two North relegation zone.

Despite scoring twice as many tries as Tigers, Otley’s penalty count saw them lose by another narrow margin.

Both sides took time to settle into the game, with the stalemate being broken after 16 minutes by a Tigers' penalty.

Otley responded immediately, after a line-out Will Burns broke the line in open play to put Max Johnson through for a try, which Ben Smith converted.

After converted penalties for both sides, the Tigers pounced on a ball that squirted out of a scrum and James Broadley ran to the line.

Ireland then punished a deliberate knock-on by Otley in front of their posts.

Owen Dudman was taken out in the air, the penalty going into Sheffield’s 22.

From the line-out, Otley pushed the visitors' line gaining two penalties along the way before the referee awarded them a penalty try and the Tigers a yellow.

The Tigers retook the lead with a penalty to make the half-time score 19-17.

From the restart, Peter Swatkins put in Broadley for his second try down the right-hand side, Ireland adding the extras.

On 50 minutes, Otley reduced the deficit from a line-out in the clubhouse corner moving the ball across the pitch whilst looking for a gap with Ben Magee scoring on the left.

Another deliberate knock-on by Otley earned them a yellow card and another converted penalty, which made the score 29-22.

Otley levelled after 64 minutes when stand-in fly-half Paul Petchey broke the line and after the breakdown, sold an intelligent dummy and ran 35 metres to score, which Magee converted.

With 10 minutes to go, a collapsed Otley scrum in front of their posts gave the Tigers a slender lead.

Otley did come close to scoring again, but were initially held up and in the resulting melee gave away a penalty, and in the second conceded a scrum followed by another penalty.

Otley are five points adrift of Huddersfield and six from Luctonians, both of whom lost at the weekend.

This Saturday's re-arranged game against Luctonians kicks off at 2pm at Cross Green.

NICK DOYLE