OORUFC Match Report
4th October 2025
Baildon 19 vs 40 OORUFC
Old Otliensians win at Baildon in fiery league showdown
OLD Otliensians, one of three unbeaten teams in the division, gave further evidence that they belong in Counties Two Yorkshire, climbing one place to third in the table by ending Baildon’s 100 per cent league record.
In a game that was littered with injuries and yellow cards, Otliensians scored six tries in their 40-19 victory, taking advantage of first use of the slope and a strong wind at Jenny Lane to build a 35-5 advantage.
Visiting skipper Luke Exley admitted: “We have won three out of three but this was our biggest victory.
“We knew that this would be our biggest test and tempers flared at times and we never felt that we were comfortable until near the end and we expect Baildon to be up there at the end of the season.
“This was a great team effort, but special mention to Luke Cowdell, who played at No 8 and 15 and carried really well for us, showing heart and desire to carry 20 yards, 15 yards, five yards or whatever.
“We have Sydney Dojan-Wood with a cut lip and we lost Will Cooper to a broken leg and ankle in training last Thursday and we wish him well, but we knew that we had to turn up here and we did.”
Exley added: “We have won three out of three and we are a special group and have been on a journey, but our mentality is to take one game at a time and give of our best, although we have the squad to get into the top four.
“Four or five games in we knew that we would have a barometer of where we are and we think that we will be all right pushing on to the top end.”
As for the derby with Baildon, Exley said: “The weather was our main concern going into the game, but the pitch held up great and the weather held off, the wind apart.
“We lost the toss and wanted to play uphill first, but we knew we had to get 30 points down the slope with that wind and then we ground it down in the second half.
“Other than the try they scored, the first half could not have gone any better. We wanted to kick for the corners, but with that wind we decided to go old school and stick it up our jumpers.
“We knew that they would come back at us in the second half, and we were only 40-19 halfway through the half, but the two yellow cards disrupted them, although we had a couple ourselves.
“We knew that we had to batten down the hatches, although they played well in the second half.
“When we were down to 13 they threw the kitchen sink at us, but we knew that we had to hold out and reset and the lads did that brilliantly.”
There was plenty of rain before kick-off and plenty of standing water on the roads leading up to Jenny Lane, but although the wind remained throughout the match, there was watery sunshine, no rain and even a rainbow.
It took Otliensians just six minutes to take the lead, a right to left move involving lock Jay Walsh and prop Luke Exley ending with centre Jake Bentley’s long pass giving winger Will Howarth the chance to score in the corner, Jake Bentley adding the conversion.
Ten minutes later, full back Luke Cowdell bagged the visitors’ second try, Jake Bentley again adding the extras as he did two minutes later when Howarth ran 60 metres past five would-be tacklers, giving Otliensians a 21-0 advantage.
Skipper Exley - an old-fashioned prop in appearance - then gave the promoted side further heart with a barnstorming run into Baildon’s 22, and the hosts soon conceded two penalties in their red zone before Walsh scored in the 26th minute, Jake Bentley making it 28-0 with the conversion.
Baildon could string nothing together, had no momentum and had winger Fola Dairo sin-binned for a high tackle just before Cowdell scored again, Jake Bentley again proving his skill off the tee with a superb conversion from near the right touchline, the wind blowing the ball left to right across the face of goal.
However, Baildon scored with their first meaningful attack on 40 minutes, their captain Ollie Murphy getting the ball down, but the strength of the wind meant that Ben Shaw’s conversion blew back towards the halfway line without ever reaching the posts.
Nevertheless that try gave Baildon a glimmer of hope for the second half, the interval being noticeable for Ollie Murphy being in earnest conversation with referee Pablo Costa - a dialogue which went on for much of the match.
Centre James Morton, who thinks he may have also torn a pectoral muscle as well as a bicep, went off two minutes into the second half, which was the last thing that Baildon needed as he was one of the few who looked like breaking tackles.
Replacement prop Mo Gaibee did his best to emulate the big centre, but scrum half Gary Cox became the second home player to receive a yellow card seven minutes later for a no-arms tackle.
Otliensians took advantage of Baildon being short-handed to score their sixth try in the 51st minute, winger Isaac Gillson going over, but the wind gave Jake Bentley no chance of keeping his 100 per cent kicking record.
At last Baildon awoke from their slumbers as flanker Joe Murphy took advantage of slipshod Otliensians tackling to stride over in the 55th minute, scrum half Gary Cox converting.
The visitors lost replacement Sydney Dojan-Wood to a split chin two minutes later and lock Ali Campbell was sin-binned in the 63rd minute in what seemed a case of mistaken identity as replacement George Martin was the real culprit.
Baildon cashed in with a penalty try a minute later, the visitors being reduced to 13 men as fly half Ollie Eaves was yellow carded for the infringement leading up to the award.
However, Baildon failed to cash in on their two-man advantage, with injuries occurring to home lock Dan Wilson and visitor Bentley as the match went into a lengthy stoppage time.
Referee Costa finally lost patience with Ollie Murphy and sin-binned him in the 94th minute, a long second half ending a minute later with Otliensians worthy winners.
Baildon have slipped a place to sixth on the back of this defeat, while Otliensians have climbed one slot to third as one of three unbeaten teams behind leaders Bradford & Bingley and Bridlington.
Report: Bill Marshall, Wharfedale Observer
Click for Yorkshire 2 League Table
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