OTLIENSIANS 11

HEATH 9

OTLIENSIANS first team were glad to get back in action having missed three out of the last five games.

They started a player short when Chris Baldwin had difficulty in getting to the match on time but opened with play mainly in midfield. The packs looked evenly matched but with the arrival of Baldwin Otliensians had a distinct advantage. As usual however after ten minutes the backs were caught off-side and Heath kicked a simple penalty.

A similar situation arose minutes later when the Heath stand-off converted a second penalty. In a period of Otliensians attack Ian Chaplin reduced the arrears with a penalty only for Heath to go further ahead again with a similar score.

There was little continuity of play at this stage with the points being vital. When Otliensians were able to move the ball with short crisp passing they made inroads into the Heath defence and just before half-time an excellent scrum from five metres disrupted the visitors' pack completeley and Dave Roberts got the touchdown leaving Otliensians 9-8 down at the break.

Due to the tenseness of the siutuation and lack of match practice there was little continuity in the second-half from either side. Mid-way through the half Ian Chaplin converted a penalty to put Otliensians two points up and make for a tense last 15 minutes. When it appeared that only a breakaway try could cause the home side any embarrassment the very situation arose with the Heath winger getting away and luckily for Otliensians Tim Swann was across to snuff out the move.

This allowed Otliensians to play out the last few minutes in midfield and conclude what had been a workmanlike rather than spectacular performance. But with three points at stake one could not expect anything else.

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