With Macclesfield & Darlington Mowden Park both struggling to secure narrow away victories, the Saxons - who have just 5 games remaining - turned up the heat at the top of National 2 North.

The Saxons’ pack was extensively reshuffled from the lineup that had started at Macclesfield, with Tom May at tighthead, Nile Dacres in the 2nd row, James Rodley on the flank and Chris Depper at no.8. The backline was more settled with the only change at fly half where Gary Dipple started.

The visitors opened the scoring with a penalty after Tom Jarvis was caught in possession and penalised in his own half. A heavy early penalty count made both sides struggle for early momentum, but after a set of forward drives in the Otley 22 it was fly half Gary Dipple who sidestepped a defender to score the opening try.

Mark Ireland hit back with another Otley penalty when a defender went off his feet at the tackle, but then Dipple secured a 2nd try with a well-executed loop move to open up Otley’s midfield defences. The visitors secured the restart kick but were turned over in contact, the alert Steff Shillingford feeding the ball to Bressington who chipped forward, regathered and outpaced the cover to score in the corner. Half time 17-6.

Otley tried to run the restart but again lost the ball in contact, the Saxons working the phases in the counter before fullback Jarvis was brought down just short of the line. Scrum half Pete White stepped inside the stretched defences to put flanker Nigel Mukarati clean through to score the bonus point 4th try.

Otley weren’t finished though and struck back by securing a strike against the head in a midfield scrum. A neat kick through the misaligned defence was gathered by winger Nazir Karim who scored in the corner. The visitors continued to press but an overcooked lineout throw relieved the siege and the Saxons were able to kick a penalty to the corner where a catch & drive was finished off with a 2nd Mukarati try as the maul was driven over.

An Otley attack seemed to have stalled when a lineout throw drifted not straight, but the Saxons’ scrum conceded a soft free-kick that was moved swiftly wide for scrum half Steve Depledge to squeeze over at the base. Alarm bells rang shortly after when the Saxons’ midfield defence was uncharacteristically sliced wide open and Nazir went clean through for his 2nd try, the successful conversion putting them within a score at 29-25.

Otley pressed the attack but were forced to kick for position, White securing the ball to launch an attack that saw Ben Barkley and Dipple drive deep into Otley territory down the left flank. The ball was recycled to White who spotted holes out wide and threw a long pass to prop Mark George whose neat draw & give put Bressington in at the corner. Relief all round as the Saxons secured another vital 5 league point win.

They now enjoy a week’s break before a trip to Herefordshire to take on Luctonians. The next home game is the crucial encounter with fellow contenders Darlington Mowden Park on March 29th. With leaders Macclesfield making the long trip to Darlington on the final day of the season it looks as if the fight for the promotion & play-off spots in National 2 North will go to the wire.