OORUFC Match Report
6th December 2025
Bradford & Bingley 15 vs 13 OORUFC
The 1stXV fall short in a tough battle with the Bees
OLD Otliensians’ coach Andy Hinchcliffe was a mixture of pride and disappointment after seeing his team fall to a narrow defeat against fellow promotion contenders Bradford & Bingley in Counties Two Yorkshire at Wagon Lane.
Visiting fly half Jake Bentley had the chance to give his side a draw in the 80th minute, but the conversion attempt to his try smacked against the inside of the near upright and bounced out, denying them what Hinchcliffe felt would have been a deserved draw.
Otliensians had levelled in first-half injury time via a try by lock Jay Walsh and again in the 59th minute when Bentley landed a penalty in what were increasingly heavy conditions.
With Bridlington gaining a bonus-point win at Roundhegians, however, Otliensians have dropped to second in the table after what was only their second league defeat of the season ahead of a home game against bottom-of-the-table Ossett on Saturday.
The hosts, who ironically also dropped a place to fifth, managed tries by lock Rob Woodhead and prop Alex Leadbeater, full back Dom Walker adding a penalty and a conversion.
However, the Bees had three players yellow carded by referee Innocent Gitari - prop Lewis Brook (for an accumulation of team high tackles), Alex Leadbeater and Adam Gaunt (deliberate knock-on).
Otliensians lost hooker John Offer to a rib injury and scrum half Rob Lofthouse to a shoulder injury.
Hinchcliffe said: “A draw would have been a fair result, but it wasn’t to be.
“However, I thought that our lads played very well in what was a strong, competitive game that summed up what Counties Two Yorkshire is all about.
“Coming to a top-four side and having a game that could have gone either way, I am proud of the fellows, and I have just said to the lads ‘This is what we got out of Yorkshire Four for, this is what we got out of Yorkshire Three for’.
“I am disappointed yes, but not worried as a few years ago they were a few leagues ahead of us.”
Hinchcliffe added: “Another 10 minutes and I think that we would have won it, but a few silly errors towards the end cost us.
“However, our line-out was good, our scrum was solid and the ruck from both sides was very competitive, and there were skills on both sides with the jackal.
“We didn’t get it wide enough often enough to our strengths, but it is December and we missed (fly half) Ollie Eaves, who has been ill all week and we had to make a late change to shift all of our backs in one position and bring Josh Howarth onto the right wing.
“Ollie’s experience would have helped us, but so be it.”
Hinchcliffe added: “The first half was very similar to the second half and the only difference towards the end was that a few of the Bees players were tired and we didn’t exploit that, but you can’t win them all.
“John’s injury was disappointing but he can now rest until the new year.
“It was difficult to know who to bring off from the forwards to get George Martin on, but we needed his fresh legs and fitness and prop Mike Groves had done nothing wrong but we just needed to bring someone on.”!
Reflecting on competing in Counties Two Yorkshire, Hinchcliffe said: “We are very happy with the impact that we are making as it was only two years ago that we were floundering in Yorkshire Four.
“It was good to get out of Yorkshire Four and good to get out of Yorkshire Three for the first time as realistically I knew that this was the level that we should be at and all I wanted this season was for us to be competitive, and we are exceeding that.
“People say that Counties Two Yorkshire is bigger, stronger, faster, but if you look at the top end of Counties Three Yorkshire there are some quality sides.
“If I was to have one tiny criticism I think that there should be five replacements rather than three.
“We struggle to get a second XV out, and I know that three replacements is supposed to help clubs get a second XV out, but it penalises us as we don’t.”
Otliensians kicked off towards Dowley Gap, but had to hack the ball off the pitch in the second minute following a good kick by Walker.
The hosts then won a penalty on their own line when winger Cobi Denton was flopped on after chasing back to defend a kick, but it was the Bees who were constantly being pinged for high tackles in the opening phases, leading to Brook’s yellow card in the 19th minute.
Bentley then made good ground only for his team to concede a penalty, but they had to defend following a kick infield by Bees winger Ryan Wilson, who should have been given a chance to score a try only for Corey Spencer to hang onto the ball instead of passing to his right.
Home skipper Luke Spauls was the next to make good metres, but referee Gitari then had to speak to both captains after a melee.
All-action Bradford & Bingley fly half Ben Hemsley then found space on the right, Spauls continuing the attack and lock Rob Woodhead went close before getting the first try six minutes before the interval, plunging over from short range.
Walker missed the conversion and Otliensians then lost Offer to injury, Alex Gillson coming on, and the visitors levelled matters in first half injury time with a try by lock Jay Walsh.
The Bees had the first opportunity in the second half, Walker hooking a penalty attempt wide before centre Jack Kennedy came off after a knee-on-knee impact.
Alex Leadbeater was sin-binned in the 50th minute, but that didn’t stop the Bees from taking the lead three minutes later with a Walker penalty after his kick downfield led to an offence.
Bentley levelled matters with a 59th-minute penalty after another high tackle, but Hemsley’s kick towards the changing rooms then found turf and led to another home penalty, Gaunt and replacement Kris Gott then combining to send Alex Leadbeater over in the 65th minute for a neat try.
Walker’s conversion made it 15-8, but they were again reduced to 14 men when Gaunt was yellow carded for a deliberate knock-on in midfield.
Then it was all hands to the pump in defence for the Bees, a knock-on costing the visitors before Bentley went over in the 80th minute, only to narrowly miss the conversion, leaving the home side victors by two points in a tense finale.
Bill Marshall
League Table
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