|
OLD OTLIENSIANS 28 KNARESBOROUGH
5
More photos here! Otliensians
continued their Cup run with an emphatic victory against league rivals
Knaresborough, who had ultimately ensured that Otliensians had again
finished third in the league earlier in the season.
Otliensians started the game at a high tempo, realising that the warm
evening and superior fitness would in the end be the defining difference to
the contest, and they were rewarded for early pressure with a well taken
penalty by the ever reliable boot of Foster. The game settled in to a
forward battle with Otliensians moving through phases, and Knaresborough
countering with their rolling maul. As the half wore on the Otliensians
forwards were beginning to dominate, particularly in the scrum, where Myers
was producing a master class in the art of tight head propping, and in the
28th minute the whole pack produced four well constructed phases to release
the backs for Foster to score by the posts, adding the conversion for a 10 -
0 half time lead.
The back division was again well marshalled by Birch, with Foster and Lee
O'Donnell in the centre proving very difficult to break down, after further
huge tackles Knaresborough were penalised for holding on, and Foster slotted
over a further penalty. Knaresborough responded with excellent work from
their inside centre and pacy wing, but the Otliensians remained solid and
well drilled in defence. 67 minutes in to the game Birch again kicked
superbly behind Knaresborough, and with a great chase forced the charge down
for the pursuing Lee O'Donnell to gather and score on the right, Foster
again added a superb conversion. Further pressure in the 70th minute lead to
Foster extending the lead to 23 - 0, which brought Knaresborough back in to
the game with sustained forward pressure leading to a try wide out on the
right following another trade mark maul.
Otliensians were however to have the last word as they once again drove
Knaresborough off their own ball, for No 8 Markus Keinhorst to pick up at
the base, evade desperate defenders and stretch over the line in the left
corner, although Foster could not convert, the final score of 28 -5 was fair
reward for a disciplined and enterprising display.
The semi final of the Yorkshire Silver Trophy will be against higher league
opposition Wath on Dearne on Saturday at Chaffers Field, kick off 3 pm.
|
