Coalville Push Ilkeston all the Way

Anyone expecting a one sided game between top four and bottom four teams was given a big suprise at the Memorial Ground on Saturday when lowely placed Coalville pushed Ilkeston all the way to the final whistle. Both sides like to play the game at pace and spread the ball wide, so the the styles produced a hugely entertaining game. The frantic pace made passing hazardous, and there were moments when the game became like bagatelle with the ball bouncing off bodies, hands and shoulders; being spilt and giving ample opportunity for turnover and counter attack. The number of occasions when the ball was passed behind the support or lost in contact were numerous and both sides could have scored a hatfull of tries had the final delivery of the pass been more accurate.

The tone of the game was set as early as the second minute when Haigh took aquick tap from a line out penalty and set Rudkin on the
charge.. Coalville were penalised at the ruck and Connolly opened the scoring with a penalty from close range. Coalvilles response was
immediate when Measures scored in the corner following a line out take and drive. In an effort to regain the lead the Elks showed a
willingness to attack form deep with a break out from Mahoney, Lewis Taylor, Greg Taylor and Gatehouse creating a chance only for the ball to be spilt inside the home twenty two allowing Coalville to counter and requiring Smith to make a try saving tackle.

haigh and greg taylor next created another chance but again the final pass failed to find a support runner.Coalville should have extended
their lead when Mayne's clever cross field kick sent Watret racing to the corner but Greg Tayor was on hand to produce a text book tackle
to rescue the situation. The game went end to end until the twenty fourth minute when the Elks combined forwrads and backs to sweep
play the length of the field. When Quinn set up a ruck Haigh was on hand to jink through a gap. He found Dan Taylor in support who dashed
over close to the posts. Connollys conversion made it 5 - 10.

On thirty minutes Coalvile were back within a score when mix up on the line gifted Mayne a simple shot at goal which he duly converted to
reduce the arrears, which is where the score stood at half time. The Elks extended their lead barely one minute into the second half when
Dan Taylor was obstructed following a chip ahead and Connolly collected the points to move the lead to 8 - 13.

The score put a spring in the Elks step and they started to play with more confidence and authority. Fowkes, Bennett and Quinn started to
dominate the line out, profitting from the accurate throwing of Moore. The scrum likewise edged into a dominance with Pringle, Moore and
Wells lasting the pace better than their opposite numbers.Ten minutes in a well timed shunt drove Coalville off their scrum ball and earned
a penalty which Haigh put between the posts to stretch the lead to 8 - 16.

Gatehouse retired having tackled himself to a standstill, requiring a reshuffle with Falls coming on at fullback and Greg Taylor moving to centre.

A second scrum take against the head led to a Connolly double dummy which Mothercare could market and brought Quinn, Mahoney and
Fowkes into the game to drive the ball forward and set up a ruck inside the twenty two. Haigh provided the perfect pass which gave Connolly
enough time and space to cooly drop a goal giving the Elks a 8 - 19 lead with only minutes remaining.

As the game entered injury time spilt ball on half way was scooped up by Twigg who combined with Richmond and Neville to create try for
Argyle. Maynes conversion brought the final score to 15 - 19 giving the Elks a well earned away victory and Coalville a fully deserved losing
bonus point. The victory enabled the Elks to retain the fourth spot and sets them up for a testing three games leading up to Christmas starting
with Paviors at home on 3rd December. saturday sees the Elks travel to shbourne for a Derbyshire cup encounter.

Man of the match J J Connolly.