Fightback from Otley in vain due to late winner
The visitors started confidently, Mark Ireland giving them the lead with an easy penalty. Fly-half Adam Canning replied for Birmingham, but two more from Ireland eased Otley ahead again.
Birmingham’s forwards drove over from a line-out on the 22 for Matthew Spink to score before No 8 Robert Connolly crashed over, Canning converting both for a 17-9 half-time lead.
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Hide AdShortly after the restart, Ireland cut through to score and convert.
Otley then hammered the home line, Stephen Costello grabbing what looked like being a winning try only for the home side to hit back for hooker William Radburn to go over on 74 minutes, the subsequent conversion from Canning enough for the win.
A try in each half from prop Ed Simmons wasn’t enough to earn victory for Sheffield Tigers as they lost out 31-21 to Chester.
Rhys Hayes and Peter Rees gave Chester the lead with two tries in 22 minutes, Hayes converting both. After 30 minutes Simmons crashed over for his first, but Hayes chalked up his second try and once again converted to put distance between the sides. Will Carrington kicked a penalty for Tigers to make it 17-8.
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Hide AdTwo second-half tries from Tom Foden, however, killed off any further Tigers’ resistance.
Chris Wilson and Harery Parish scored a try apiece for Harrogate at home to Darlington Mowden Park, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a 34-17 defeat.
Callum Irvine converted both and added a penaly, but Henry Robinson led the way for the visitors with two tries.
Winless Hull salvaged a losing bonus point in a 22-19 defeat at Bromsgrove.
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Hide AdThe visitors fell behind early on but hit back to take a 14-7 lead through tries from Kerry Wood and Richard Stout, both converted by James Cameron.
But tries from George Glenn and Ben Palmer, either side of a penalty from Jon Critchlow proved crucial with Hull unable to regain the lead, despite a late third try from Ben Thoy.