ELKS EDGE PAST DERBYSHIRE RIVALS AT STUTE

Man of the Match - Steve Quinn

On a sunny autumnal afternoon at the Stute 6th place Ilkeston welcomed
13th placed Matlock. Fielding a strong fifteen the home team were
hoping to elevate on the previous weeks impressive score line of 46-0.

The game kicked off to a rather pessimistic start for the Elks, with a
Matlock line out leading to a scrum inside the Elks half, the move
resulting with Matlock’s Young going over for a try on 5 minutes. Young
missed the conversion opening the score to 0-5.

After the restart a kick from Joel Haigh took play into the visitors
half for the first time in the game. A Matlock scrum ensued which they
won, leading to a kick taking play deep inside the Ilkeston half. The
ball was collected by the waiting Ellis Hallam for Ilkeston who cleared
to touch.

As play continued the Elks won the ball from a scrum and began to push
forward. From an Elks line out Carney collected and passed out to Lewis
Taylor who linked up with Steve Quinn. A tackle made without the ball
led to an advantage in favour of the home team.

Good play followed from Ilkeston with play involving a link up from Ben
Gatehouse, Dan Taylor and brother Greg Taylor which resulted in a try.
However this was not given due to a double movement.

With Matlock on the ball Matt McGuire made an excellent tackle
preventing the visitors from building on their pace. From an Ilkeston
scrum captain Adam Corcoran, Lewis Taylor, Ben Carney combined to
showcase good paced flowing rugby.

Ilkeston were putting on a display of good determined rugby and just
seemed unable to go all the way and breakdown the strong Matlock
defence which proved frustrating for the home supporters.

From an Elks scrum deep inside the visitors half, Matlock’s Young
cleared close to Ilkeston’s 22. Full back Greg Taylor made a good take and
began to storm forward, the Elks once again probing looking for the try
which was sure to come.

Shortly afterwards the points almost came in the Elks direction in the
form of a penalty, however Greg Taylor’s effort bounced off the post.

With Matlock going down to 14 men as J Young was sin binned, the Elk’s
used the lack in man power to their advantage with Adam Corcoran making
a steal and passing on to Dan Taylor, Ellis Hallam and Lewis Taylor
were also involved in the movement which resulted in a scrum for
Matlock at the breakdown.

Moments later and just before the half time whistle the Elks finally
push over the line and get their long awaited try, with the conversion
being missed by Greg Taylor, the score stood at 5-5.

Matlock start the second half in much the same way as they did the
first, scoring inside the first five minutes and again failing to
convert putting the score at 5-10.

On ten minutes Ilkeston made their first substitution with Dan Mahoney
replacing Gray who was forced off with a shoulder injury. Matlock
continued their attack and had a chance to increase their lead when
Matt McGuire was then penalised for not releasing, Young failed to
convert.

Skipper Corcoran picked up from a retreating scrum fed Lewis Taylor
knocked the ball on. The Elks won the ball but handbags after 22
minutes saw Greg Taylor and Matlock’s Wragg binned for 10 minutes.

An Elks line out on 24 minutes was collected by Adam Corcoran who broke
and fed through the line reaching Lewis Taylor leaving him free to
crash over under the posts. Joel Haigh took over kicking duties and
converted taking the score to 12-10 on 29 minutes.

Matlock worked their way into the Elks 22 and after several phases made
room for a Young drop kick edging them just in front of the Elks at 12-
13.

A break from a line out saw Joel Haigh feed Lewis Taylor, who passed
out To Greg Taylor, he found Dan Taylor who crashed over in the corner,
and this was met with rapturous applause and went a long way to warm
the chilly crowd of home supporters. Greg Taylor was unable to convert
which put the score at 17-13.

If anyone thought that Matlock in the lowly league position were going
to be an easy touch were mistaken. They made life difficult at the
breakdown, an area the Elks dominated at Bedford the previous week, and
with Chris Young’s boot the Elks knew that any loose play would result
in long clearance kicks.

Ben Wells made his first team debut at tight head and impressed in both
the set pieces and the loose. Steve Quinn’s all-round performance earned him the man of the match.

Match report by Rochelle ODwyer