Camped out in Otley’s 22 for long stretches, Stour were ultimately unable to convert pressure into points but it was the hosts who were relieved to hear the final whistle. An encouraging performance marked the side’s continuing growth in confidence against opponents beaten only twice at home this season.

With the pack unchanged, the reshuffled backline featured the return of scrumhalf Toby Handley almost 9 years after his last appearance for the club. Gary Dipple switched wings to accommodate the return of Stef Cooksammy, while Tom Jarvis’s absence meant a debut for Moseley loanee Alex Foster at fullback.

Otley kicked off on a soft surface with a fresh northerly breeze on their backs. They ran the ball from a scrum and secured a penalty when scrumhalf Steve Depledge’s savvy pass hit flanker Eji Uzoigwe lying offside post-tackle. To the 22 it went, Otley drove and secured a further penalty that Depledge knocked over. 3min 3-0.

Both sides look to mix their play between kicking & running ball in hand but the defences held comfortably. Stour were penalised for hanging on in the tackle, Otley again kicked to touch in the 22 and worked their forwards round the corner off the lineout, but a big Ben Barkley tackle knocked the ball loose and Dipple punted long downfield. The Otley counter stalled near halfway but then turned over Stour’s scrum feed and attacked the right flank, a deep touchline kick leaving Cooksammy few options. Otley threw it long and Depledge ran flat, centre Jack Mackie’s dummy run opening a gap as defenders were wrongfooted, he took a simple pass to score under the posts. 16min 10-0.

The ball went loose as Stour drove up the midfield, Otley again kicked deep and the chasers caught Ryan before he could get the clearance away. Turnover secured they moved the ball left, Fred Brookes’ steal at the tackle looked to have put Drew Harper clear but the Stour tackler was penalised and Depledge landed a 2nd penalty. 20min 13-0.

Stour’s scrum squeeze forced a penalty, Ryan’s fine touch kick giving them an attacking platform in the Otley 22. The throw secured they set and drove a maul from which Harper emerged to power over from short range. Ryan’s conversion attempt flew wide. 24min 13-5.

A loose Stour return after a kick exchange allowed Otley to attack from deep, they found touch in the Stour 22 and secured possession again as Stour failed to clear. Otley moved it right and were only held out by a last ditch tackle. They pressed the attack and were again held out, but finally the ball was worked right where winger Henry Roberts managed to shrug off a defender to score. 32min 18-5.

From the restart Stour managed to work an attack into the Otley 22 but the ball was split in contact. A promising Otley attack reached the Stour half but great work by Barkley secured a turnover to defuse the threat. Halftime 18-5.

Ryan had to hurry an early 2nd half clearance kick from deep but the wind advantage was apparent as he found touch on halfway. Otley attacked but Jack Spencer’s counter-rucking turned them over and the Stour front row got to work, forcing a penalty in the scrum. An exchange of kicks went Stour’s way as the chase caught an Otley defender in possession and a penalty was secured for offside in the Otley 22. An easy 3 points was declined, Ryan kicked to the corner and a further penalty was awarded for a lineout infringement. This time they opted to scrum and Harper drove from the base but was held up over the line. Scrum again and this time they went for the pushover, a penalty try awarded when Depledge prevented the inevitable by coming in at the side. Ryan converted, 52min 18-12.

A knock-on at the restart gifted possession back and Otley again attacked with ball in hand. A runner broke through the defensive line but was hauled down near the 22, Ciaran Moore’s steal at a breakdown enabling Ryan to clear. Otley secured a scrum in Stour’s 22 and launched a wave of attacks but Stour’s first up defence held them out, Spencer again forcing a turnover from which hooker Fred Brookes launched a counter-attack. The ball was lost near halfway though and back again came Otley but play was halted for a head injury. Otley attacked again but Ryan covered to defuse a chip into the in-goal.

Stour’s pack forced another scrum penalty that Ryan booted to touch on the Otley 22 but the defenders managed to hold up the maul. Otley’s next drive ended with a knock on near the Stour 22, Harper broke from the scrum and make big yardage down the right for Ryan to launch a punt that held up in the corner, a great kick chase forcing an attacking 5m scrum. Stour’s intentions weren’t difficult to read when Sturdy replaced Brookes and Spencer moved to hooker, but Otley’s scrum held out and they counter-rucked with vigour, driving Stour back to the 22. Scrum again and this time Stour got it moving but too far out for the pushover so Harper broke to set up a protracted series of drives, Otley eventually conceding a penalty in the tackle bang in front of their posts. With 10min on the clock Stour again declined the 3 point option and opted to scrum, but as they advanced the ball rebounded off a leg, Otley hooked it and kicked clear.

Ryan launched another attack that drew an offside penalty on the Otley 22. 6min to go, the 2nd half penalty count now 7-1, 5 of them in Otley’s ‘red zone’ but still not even a threat of a yellow card from Mr Kirkpatrick. Scrum again, Stour advanced but it started to wheel and Handley’s pass to Ryan went loose, Otley gathered and kicked clear. A kicking duel ensued before Stour probed the defences ball in hand, but a fumble at the base gifted possession back with barely 3 minutes to go. An offside penalty then enabled Otley to kick for touch and wind the clock down to the final whistle. Full time 18-12.