Elks Back to Winning Ways

The Elks returned to winning ways at the Stute on Saturday when they overcame Leighton Buzzard in fairly convincing fashion. Theys eem to have discovered some of the drive and urgency missing in recent weeks and also the ability to finish with four well taken tries from Jonno Falls, Lewis Taylor, Joel Haigh and Dan Mahoney. Yet again injuries had shaped the make up of the side with Josh Meakin making his debut and Jonno Falls and Dan Mahoney returing after lomg lay offs. Skipper Corcoran being an addition to the list of those out injured.

Playing into the wind and the slope the Elks were first on the board with a Connolly penalty after good approach work from backs and forwards combined. They streched the lead to 8 - 0 after ten minutes with a try from Jonno Falls. McKelvey won a line out inside his own half, Mahoney set up a ruck in midfield and Haigh put in a grubber that turned the defence. The bounce evaded full back Janes and Falls was on
hand to scoop up and dive into the corner.

Failure to deal with the restart gave Leighton Buzzard a penalty and Anstee stepped up to make it 8 - 3. The score gave the visitors impetus and the Elks endured a testing fifteen minutes as they launched wave
after wave of attack. The defence held firm until the stroke of half time when Ansteee made it 8 - 6. The Elks were grateful for the respite brought by the break but even more grateful for the defensive efforts of Lewis, Dan and Greg Taylor, plus Gwynne, whose tackle count kept the line intact. Likewise Gatehouse, replacing the desperately unlucky Falls, who was forced to depart on seventeen minutes with a recurrence
of his hamstring problems.

With the breeze and the slope the home side started with real intent. The scrum, creaking in the first half, started to function and gain an edge with Pringle, Moore and Clarke taking the battle to their opposite numbers. A solid scrum inside the visitors twenty two provided the ball which bought Greg Taylor into the line to feed his brother Lewis who finished in the corner.

At 13 - 6 the Elks began to show a touch of the quality they are capable of. With the option of Stokewr, Garland, Bennett and McKelvey there was a plentiful supply of line out ball to work with. Playing on the front foot gave Haigh and Connolly time and allowed them to create phases by bringing the forwards into play around the field. Moore,
Mahoney, Stoker and Bennett were particularly prominent. A storming run from Mahoney with Garland available to drive the ball on earned a penalty on sixteen minutes into the half which Connolly duly slotted to take the score to 16 - 6.

Good hands by Dan Taylor and Gatehouse set Gwynne on a run and he was only denied a try by a desperate Wheeler tackle in the corner. Stoker stole the line out and the forwards mauled over the line for Mahoney to claim a try making it 21 - 6 with ten minutes left. Clarke departed to give Meakin his first taste of senior rugby and he did not disappoint as his lift enabled Garland to feed Haigh with quick line out ball off the top. Haigh attacked the back of the line, sold an
outrageous dummy and streaked through close to the posts. Connolly converted to leave the final score at 28 - 6.

A bonus point win keeps the Elks in sixth place and still within reach of the table leaders. The introduction of so many youngsters in recent weeks bodes well for the future as they have shown thay they have the ability to grow into this level of rugby. There are however some testing weeks ahead before the injury lists clears up, starting with Market Rasen & Louth away next week.

Man of the Match Dan Mahoney.