25/10 Blues 26 Otley 20
October 25, 2008
Newbury 26 (6) - 20 (8) Otley
Tries: M Williams, Catt Tries: Burrell, Kitching 2
Penalties: Griffiths 3 Penalties: Rhodes
Drop-goals: Griffiths
Conversions: Griffiths 2 Conversions:Rhodes
By Malcolm Howe/Ben Johnson, Reporters
Email: newsdesk@newburynews.co.uk
Phone: 01635 564529
Blues emerge victorious over Otley in bottom of league clash despite first half woes
A FRENETIC second half spell saw Blues turn around a game that appeared to be going nowhere to snatch a vital victory in the dogfight at the foot of National League One.
A rush of scores saw them come out on top - and they also came out on top of the yellow card score as well after scoring three of the five sin-binnings handed out by referee Rowan Kitt during a bizarre 13 minute second half spell.
It was 12 against 13 for a time and Blues had to see out the final 10 minutes two men short before hanging on to gain a massive confidence booster.
They needed it after a poor first half saw them trailing 8-6 to the Yorkshire side, who should have had more points in the bag.
Winger Robin Kitching should have put them ahead early on when he cut inside full back Matt Williams to leave the line at his mercy. But he gave Williams time to recover and get in his tackle, although Tom Rhodes did put Otley in front from a penalty that was cancelled out by Gareth Griffiths.
Otley did not take long to break through however, breaking away straight from the re-start for Luther Burrell to score and although another Griffiths penalty reduced the arrears, it was half-an-hour before Newbury got into the Otley 22, by which time Kitching should have punished them when he had space and Paul Williams outside him, but his loose pass left his lock with no chance.
Rhodes hit the woodwork with a penalty at the start of the second half before the game was turned upside down and back during a bizarre 15-minute spell.
A quick turnover saw Luke Burns and Ross Noonan break for Matt Williams to go through and score, only for Kitching to get it right for once straight from the re-start with Rhodes’ conversion putting Otley back in front.
Then it was back to the other end, where prop Nathan Catt showed his pursuers a clean pair of heels to go through, Griffiths giving Blues a five point gap before slotting over a drop goal and a penalty after Otley number eight Mike McComish became the first player to be yellow-carded.
Newbury scrum half Waylon Gasson and Otley skipper Dan Hyde soon followed after a flare-up, with Newbury captain Mark Lee and Chevvy Pennycook also seeing yellow as it looked as if the game would still get away from Blues, especially when Kitching was left as the widest of three men on an overlap against the numerically-challenged home side.
But Newbury survived the final examination to pick up the four points, although they remain in the bottom three.
Newbury: Williams; Henderson, Hylton, Burns, Nutt; G. Griffiths, Gasson; Catt, Clark, Fidler; A. Griffiths, Brown; Lee, Pennycook, Noonan. Subs: Witcomb, McGregor, Green, Fox, Kessell, Ridgers, Sweeney.
Otley: Shuttleworth; Dench , Burrell, Mooney , Kitching; Rhodes, McCormack; Trethewey, Steele, Wederell; Denton, P. Williams; Baldwin Hyde, McComish. Subs: Kay, Swainston, Wackett, Whittaker, Parr, Rowan, Andre.
Click on the View Video link at www.newburytoday.co.uk to watch the match highlights and hear coach, Ben Sturnham’s, thoughts.
Comments
Got something to say?