Macclesfield 28, Otley 25 Otley were condemned to relegation after their second-half fightback yielded a bonus point but not the win they needed to keep hopes alive.

They were left to rue missed opportunities, a knock-on at the line and twice being recalled for a forward pass with the line open.

Despite having the better of the scrums, they also allowed Macclesfield two tries from the set piece.

Macclesfield opened with a penalty and, although centre Ben Hough soon levelled, the hosts ran back a clearing kick and Jack Moorhouse crossed, Charles Winney converting.

No 8 Jonathan Keep went over from a five-metre scrum after 21 minutes and he added a second just before the break, again from a close-in scrum, with Otley’s Richard Beck in the sin-bin.

Despite being a man short Otley took the initiative, Curtis Wilson almost going over from the restart. Macclesfield bundled the ball into touch from where Ollie Stedman forced his way over.

Having missed an easy penalty, Hough then struck three from long distance and scored another after Winney had replied for the hosts.

It was all Otley in the final five minutes and, breaking from a scrum on his 22, Stephen Depledge gave Wilson enough space to lose his marker and race to the line.

A quick conversion attempt was missed and Otley’s chance had gone, leaving them facing up to life in National Two North next season.