Otley.................17

Bedford...........17

The atmosphere at Cross Green on Saturday could be cut with a knife, such was the expectancy of the huge crowd, bolstered by coach loads from Bedford who were anxious not to see their team relegated for the second successive year.

Both sides needed to win, a draw an unlikely option, in case Orrell succeeded in beating London Welsh.

The noise increased as the score fluctuated.

The visitors had first chance but skipper Ben Whetstone, a threat throughout the game, was wide with a penalty.

Otley took charge of the early exchanges, full-back Ian Shuttleworth almost over when he cut through the middle after coming into the fly-half position.

Twice in succession Bedford found themselves hurled back at the put in and they had a let off when Dan Clappison's penalty attempt from 40m and into the wind struck the upright.

The first real threat did not come until the 27th minute when a penalty pushed Otley back into their 22.

Although the drive was repelled the ball was released and a neat show of the ball by fly-half Martin Wheelwork created a half chance for Whetstone who cut in under the posts and then added the conversion.

Otley's reply was swift, a drive by the forwards down the right took then to the visitors' 22 followed by a miss-pass by Clappison which allowed Robert Whatmuff to run at the defence before feeding Mark Kirby who scored a trademark try.

Taking the tackle and touching down at arm's length.

Three minutes after the break they were ahead, another searing run by Shuttleworth took him almost clear but he was unable to find his support when tackled.

However, a Bedford boot flipped the ball up to Whatmuff who had over run the ball and he fed Kirkby, who was flattened short of the line which took him from the field with a shoulder injury.

However, the ball was retrieved and Jonathan Burke, a tower of strength in the loose, was able to put Whatmuff over, Clappison adding the vital conversion.

The scores were level seven minutes later when under pressure near his line Shuttleworth's kick found the covering Wallwork 40m out.

He ran across field to find centre John Rudd who unbelievably was allowed to curve down to the right hand corner without a hand being laid on him.

He sold one outrageous dummy before going over. Having to start again, the opportunity came when an astute kick by Clappison forced the Bedford full-back to seek touch 8m out and from the line-out Phil Griffin was driven over.

Clappison missed the conversion and three minutes later was wide with a penalty chance which would have provided much needed breathing space.

The way the game was swinging it was inevitable that Bedford would come back and re-placement left winger Chris Bajak after getting close from his first pass, made sure the second time, sneaking in at the corner.

The conversion was taken in deathly silence.

If the scores remained level Bedford would go through whatever happened at Orrell, if the kick went over and Orrell won Otley were doomed to relegation.

So it was with some relief that the kick was a shocker.

So the game ended all square despite Otley desperately trying for the win and nearly conceding another score in the process.

They had to wait a nervous ten minutes before the news came through that Orrell had failed to gain the bonus point which would have rescued them from accompanying neighbours Waterloo out of the top echelon, as has happened to erstwhile West Coast clubs, Fylde and Liverpool St Helens recently.