Otley 22, Leicester Lions 22

“How did we let that one slip away?” said Otley’s director of rugby Tom Rock to no-one in particular in the bowels of the Cross Green changing rooms yesterday.

Otley made an electric start, scoring a try after 30 seconds and another after six minutes to establish a 12-0 lead as they enjoyed a crisp but sunny afternoon in the shadow of the Chevin in this crucial SSE National League Two North encounter.

After 29 minutes they led 22-12, the two tries they had added as they enjoyed the firmer conditions giving them a bonus point.

But by half-time the deficit had been reduced to seven points and a converted try gave fellow strugglers Leicester Lions a draw in a tense second half.

The importance of not claiming victory against a side who were one place below them can be seen by the fact that Otley slipped down into a relegation place in third from bottom, Harrogate, who have a game in hand on their derby rivals, having climbed above them by virtue of a 27-21 victory at Nuneaton.

Only six points now separate the bottom five with some clubs having nine games left and others having ten in what is sure to be a survival battle that goes to the wire.

“I am very disappointed that we didn’t win, and the players can deal with that in two ways before we train on Tuesday,” said Rock afterwards.

“They can either have a skinful tonight or lock themselves in a darkened room but it became a typical game between two sides camped near the bottom of the table.”

Rock, who had a fine game at fly half, might have been disappointed by his team’s failure to clinch a battle that was there for the taking but he reckons they will win the war.

He said: Luffers (Mark Luffman) says that was the best attacking display we have given for two or three seasons and I am sure that we have enough quality in our side to stay up. We just need to learn to take our chances.”

Full back Christian Georgiou, who was Otley’s man of the match and scored three tries inside the first half-hour, was replaced in the 57th minute by Ben Collins.

Rock explained: “Christian had a tight back but we have enough faith in all of our bench to come on and do a job - Ben helped to win us the match at Kendal last Saturday with his goal kicks.

“We have no game next weekend but we aim to make it back-to-back away wins at Bromsgrove a week on Saturday.”

Otley’s blistering opening looked like it was going to blow the Lions away.

Georgiou ran from just outside his 22 in the game’s first attack and, using left winger James Wood as a foil, cut inside and, although he was tackled by his opposite number Gareth Collins inside the Lions 22, he was not held, and regained his feet to score.

A half-break by Rock put Otley on the offensive again in the sixth minute and Georgiou, in a manner reminiscent of his father Jason, strolled over on the right, and added the conversion.

A close-range try from Lions’ No 8 Jack Gibbons put them back in it but Otley responded with a try by left winger James Wood in the 20th minute.

The visitors’ left winger Lee Dyment crossed in the 22nd minute, fly half James Stokes converting, but Georgiou completed his hat-trick seven minutes later after Gareth Collins had shot out of the defensive line but failed to intercept.

Stokes’ penalty after 33 minutes completed the first-half scoring but Otley could have made more of two attacks involving their right winger James Twomey.

Stokes ran a good angle in the 45th minute to score a try and added the conversion which levelled the scores but Otley might have been better suited to kick their penalties after that, rather than try to score tries.

Nevertheless they were unlucky not to get a deliberate knock-on ruling when they were pressing under the Lions posts in the 52nd minute, and, inspired by Rock and flanker Toby Williams, they almost scored tries in the 64th minute and in the seventh minute of injury time when they were held up over the visitors’ line, Rock having had a drop-goal attempt charged down seconds earlier.