Otley 12, Rosslyn Park 16

The bonus point gained yesterday may have again taken Otley out of the National League One relegation places but there was little rejoicing afterwards at Cross Green.

After dominating the opening 25 minutes, this was definitely an opportunity missed for Otley to back up their home win of a fortnight previously against Blackheath.

“We played too much as individuals and need to get back to playing to our strengths,” confessed a disappointed Otley forwards’ coach Mark Luffman.

“We need to revisit what we are good at as a team. Park played with strength and commitment but we conceded too many penalties - particularly in the second half - and they were needless penalties.”

Otley are currently a point above the drop zone but have played three games more than Cinderford, who are only a point behind them, and a game more than Redruth, who are only two points adrift of the Cross Greeners.

Luffman, who spent a long time on the pitch afterwards in discussion with both director of rugby Gary Walker and experienced forward Howard Parr, added: “We have the talent here to get ourselves out of trouble but we need to play a higher-tempo game.

“We are creating chances - that is not the problem - but we need to be much more clinical when we have overlaps.”

On a pitch that was firm but playable after frost, Otley, who had James Keinhorst, Toby Quarendon, Jervis Manupenu and Richard Beck back, started promisingly.

Rosslyn Park didn’t even handle the ball for the first three minutes as full back Keinhorst and prop Adam Blades got more than one early touch as Otley tested the visitors’ defence.

The opening phases ended with a high tackle on left winger Curtis Wilson but the overall attack came to nothing as Quarendon was soon penalised for holding on.

Blades and Park prop Brett Williams got better acquainted with each other in an 11th-minute dust up, and the latter was sin-binned two minutes later for interfering from an offside position.

Finally the Park defensive dam was breached in the 23rd minute when Keinhorst swept over in the left corner, centre Ben Hough missing the conversion.

But the hosts saw little of the ball for the remainder of the half, Otley skipper Jamie Sutton giving away two penalties - one for not rolling away in the tackle and the other for a late tackle.

He was warned as to his future conduct by referee Philip Davies, Park fly half Ross Laidlaw landing the 29th-minute penalty from the first incident and kicking another nine minutes later when Manupenu was yellow-carded for an illegal tackle.

With Otley only leading 7-6 at the interval, Hough was woefully short with a 49-metre penalty in the first minute of the second half.

Laidlaw’s penalty two minutes later struck the angle of upright and bar but stayed out.

However, with Otley back to 15 men, Laidlaw scored a try in the 48th minute, converted it and added a penalty four minutes later.

Hampered by the concession of too many penalties, Otley could only mount fitful attacks in the last half-hour, although Wilson was almost through on the left, and then nearly got on the end of a Manupenu kick.

With four minutes of normal time remaining, Manupenu hacked on twice and found replacement right winger James Twomey in plenty of space.

Careful not to knock on in picking up the spinning ball just inside Park’s half, Twomey put on the after-burners to beat two covering defenders and then had the presence of mind to cut in and out of the remaining Park rearguard to score a fine try.

Hough missed the conversion but, with the bonus point in the bag for losing by seven points or less, there was no opportunity for them to snatch the main and much-needed prize of a victory.