Lacklustre Elks Lose at Haslams

Classic Drinks Man of the Match – Adam Corcoran.

One would be forgiven for not recognising the Ilkeston side which made the short trip to Derby on Saturday. Not in terms of personnel, as there were only four change from the side who so narrowly lost to Syston the previous week, but rather in terms of performance. They never found their way out of bottom gear and only troubled the home side on a few occasions during what is best described as a poor game. Derby will have enjoyed their victory but will ask themselves questions about how they failed to convert so much possession into a bigger winning margin. The answer in part was the Elks resolute defence where Adam Corcoran, Scott Rudkin, Ellis Hallam and Steve Mahoney worked tirelessly.
Changes to the Elks’ front row, with regular hooker Marc Moore watching from the sidelines after recent minor surgery, meant that the unfamiliar combination always lacked the cohesion and understanding at scrum and lineout, depriving the visitors of possession for large periods of the game. Likewise Steve Quinn’s absence further reduced their lineout options and ball carrying presence around the field. Despite the change the Elks’ performance must still be regarded below par and bore no resemblance to the classy way they conducted themselves in the opening two games.
The first twenty minutes were all Derby as they troubled the visitors at scrum time and stole their lineout throw. They failed, however, to take any advantage as the Elks’ well organised defence kept them at bay. It was twenty two minutes into the game when the Elks finally came alive. A lineout take by Adam Stoker enabled fly-half JJ Connolly and fullback Greg Taylor to combine and take play close to the Derby twenty two. However, a penalty for holding on allowed Derby to clear their lines but the Elks came back and Connolly went close with a drop goal attempt.
As the Elks began to gain scraps of possession the game went into a stalemate which was only broken when Rudkin was confined to the sin-bin fourteen minutes before the break and Derby immediately made the best use of the one man advantage. The Elks assisted the Derby score in losing their own lineout ball inside their twenty two and the home side swiftly moved the ball into midfield. Still adjusting for the missing Rudkin the Elks’ midfield allowed Marlow too much space and he fed Robertson who scored between the posts. Worthington’s conversion made the half time score 7-0.
As the second half started the Elks again found themselves under pressure but Mahoney sensed the danger and took play into the opposition half. A solid scrum gave the Elks some usable ball and a Greg Taylor break earned a penalty which Connolly converted to bring the score to 7-3 five minutes into the half.
Sensing that changes were necessary the Elks introduced Joel Haigh who slotted in at scrum-half with Lewis Taylor taking up the vacant spot on the wing with Hallam leaving the field. The returning student made an immediate impact with a box kick taking play into Derby’s half. Lewis Taylor’s chase was illegally impeded by Long whose indiscretion earned him the second yellow card of the game. Attempting to make the most of their one man advantage the Elks took the game to Derby. Paul Shoebridge’s lineout take sent Ben Gatehouse charging through the midfield defence to earn a penalty but Connolly’s effort fell short.

Having survived Derby got themselves back on the front foot where another Elks’ lineout failure gave them a penalty which Worthington slotted to regain their leading margin at 10-3 at the midpoint of the half. Alan Cook replaced Gatehouse in the centre but within two minutes had conceded the penalty that allowed Worthington the chance to stretch the lead to a two score margin.
As the game went into the last quarter the Elks threw caution to the wind as they sought a way of getting something out of the game. As so often happens this high risk strategy came undone leading to mistakes on which Derby were quick to capitalise on and Harlow completed the scoring with a fine individual effort wide out to leave the Elks with an 18-3 defeat.