Ionians undone by late Otley scores

By MALCOLM KNOWLES

Hull Ionians…………34

Otley……………………..39

WHEN Hull Ionians scored after 65 minutes through Ben Stephen and scored again three minutes later through Josh Britton to make it 34-27 to the hosts, the game should have been won.

But a second try in the corner by Louis Martin after 78 minutes and a breakaway try from their own 22 by Ben Dinsdale in the 81st minute saw Otley take the spoils.

Good early pressure saw Ionians captain James Sanderson score in the corner, but two Joe Rowntree penalties saw Otley take the lead, increased when a break by Saw Waddington saw George Bowen score.

The hosts came back with a try by Ally Forth and conversion and penalty by Lewis Minikin to lead 14-13.

Otley struck back when Martin scored his first, Rowntree again converting, before a dropped Otley pass saw Sam Pocklington race away to level the scores.

Otley scored first after the break when Eddie Crossland crossed and converted, then Ionians' third attempt at driving over from penalty line-outs saw Ben Stephenson score, after an earlier score by Joe Makin ruled out for apparently being held up, Minikin converting to level the scores, before the final minutes changed the result.