Otley received a warm welcome on its return for the resumption of local derby rivalry from a brief sojourn in what is now the Championship. The large crowd – bigger by a distance than any attracted to the Avenue last season – were treated to a full-blooded and exciting match, although for the most part flowing rugby took a back seat to naked energy and commitment.

That the game produced just a single try, by Wharfedale winger Simon Horsfall, underlines the nature of the contest. Otherwise it was left to the boots of opposing stand-offs Joe Ford and James Murray to provide exercise for the scorer.

There were opportunities for more tries, with the Greens taking the larger share, but these chances resulted more often from defensive vagaries than incisive attacking play.

Even Horsfall’s 27th-minute try in the right corner, well-taken though it was, owed as much to the fact that the Otley defenders had gone walk-about as to the perfectly weighted kick ahead from Ford that set up the score. Ford, who seems at his best when faced with the more difficult kicks, rubbed in salt with a splendid conversion from the touch-line.

That aside, it was penalties: five from eight for Ford; three from six by Murray.

The visitors’ best chance of a try came at the end of the third quarter, when still within a score of the home side at 16-9. Only an unlikely interception by home centre Chris Malherbe, racing back towards the home line, plus a fine clearance under pressure by winger Dave Hall, prevented a break-through.

For the Dalesmen, a typical Andy Hodgson break sent Malherbe close at the outset of the second half, a forward pass decision halting the surge. In the 75th minute Hall did well to collect a cross-kick from Ford. He combined with Malherbe, and the pair had the line in their sights, until a deliberate knock-on ended the move at the expense of Ford’s final penalty chance. His clearance established a 13-point margin, and effectively settled the outcome.

Wharfedale: A Hodgson (L Gray 75); D Hall, C Malherbe, M Bedworth, S Horsfall; J Ford, D Matthews; T Horner (A Mason 59), S Graham ( J Altham 78), M Chivers, O Renton (R Brown 78), A Allen, L Maka’afi (T Ball 67), D Solomi, R Baldwin.

Otley: B Hough; J Gill (C Georgiou 77), O Denton, J White, R Duckett (J Twomey 52); J Murray, S Depledge; A Blades (G Denman 46), B Steele (G Warner 63), C Zeiss (A Fraser 55), H Park, A Ball, J Barker, C Walker, O Stedman.

Referee: LLyr Apgeraint Roberts