Otley will be hoping to end their SSE National League Two North home fixtures on a high note when they entertain Dudley Kingswinford at Cross Green on Saturday.

They will be looking to build on the tremendous win which their patched-up side secured at Birmingham & Solihull as they close in on a top-five finish.

Interim director of rugby Ryan Duckett was thrilled with the performance of a team that was shorn of regular personnel and had five players making their first starts.

He said: “I must admit that I had some fears before the game about how such a makeshift side would perform, but the lads soon showed that I had no need to worry.

“They were simply magnificent. Everybody played their part and to come away with a win is further proof of the progress we have made not just as a team, but as a squad.

“We fielded a new second-row pairing in Sam Raper and Ross Ballentine, George Burkinshaw was in for his first game at prop, while in the backs Tom Barnes and Chris Gemmell were paired together.

“As if that wasn’t enough change, Chris Gemmell dislocated his shoulder after ten minutes and so Andy Lowdon came on to make his debut alongside Barnes.

“It is just amazing how the lads coped with all the changes, but they did. In adversity they stepped up to the plate.”

Now Duckett and the selectors could face some tricky decisions if some of their injured players are declared fit for consideration.

Prop Toby Williams is in line for a possible return after a hamstring injury while broken-nose victim Ben Steele wants to play so that he can make his 200th appearance for the club.

Steele will join an illustrious list of those players who have turned out for the team more than 200 times.

Leading the way is Andy Brown with 225 (52 as replacement), followed by Ian Carroll 224 (19), Robert Whatmuff 220 (19), Paul Williams 215 (27) and Duncan Sayers 203 (57).

Steele was introduced to rugby with Otley under-sevens and won representative honours with Yorkshire at under-15, 16 and 18 levels, as well as the North under-18s and England under-18s.

He also played for Yorkshire under-20s and under-21s, appearing in the Under-20 County Championship final against Devon at Twickenham.

Ben made his full league debut for Otley on November, 15 2003 at Dry Leas, Henley, when he was 19.