Chester made it back-to-back National League 2 North victories with a 26-12 home success over Otley on Saturday.

Games between the teams have been close-run affairs in recent seasons with the Hare Lane outfit having lost the previous three meetings with the West Yorkshire side.

But, in a forward-dominated clash on a muddy pitch, they turned the tables to record a win which maintained their excellent start to the new year.

Chester’s first three tries were scored from the set-piece and rolling mauls.

Tom Foden slides in to collect the ball in Chester's win over Otley

Hooker Liam Gill broke the deadlock, touching down after driving over the line from a few metres out, before another rolling maul from five metres out gave Guy Ford an opportunity he rarely misses.

Minutes earlier Ford would have crossed in the same place but for a brilliant tackle from the Otley scrum-half who somehow managed to get his arm under the ball as it was about to be grounded.

With Callum Bennett in good nick with the boot, Chester went into half-time two converted tries to the good, with their opponents’ only reward being a brace of penalties that their fly-half dispatched with relative ease.

The contest looked to be turning Otley’s way in the second half as they piled on the pressure.

But great defensive work from Chester, and a third try, this time from Will Bown, after a rolling maul from 30 metres out, settled the nerves.

Chester clear their lines in the win over Otley

However, with Otley prepared to kick their points opportunities rather than run the ball, the encounter remained tight.

But any doubt over the final outcome was ended when a fantastic break down the right flank from James Preston opened up the defence before a lovely pass inside allowed Harrison Vare to score under the posts for a try which Bennett converted.

Sixth-placed Chester head to eighth-placed Hinckley tomorrow.

Christleton, meanwhile, won 22-16 at Wallasey on Saturday while Helsby were awarded a walkover win by opponents Merseyside Police.