Season's Best from Elks

Contests between third and fourth in the league rarely produce such a comprehensive victory. This was by far the best Elks performance of the season, based on the forwards ability to battle for every last bit of possession,the backs desire to use the spaces and play at pace and a defensive effort where the ferocity of the tackling kept the visitors on the back foot. Despite the loss of Rudkin six minutes into the second half, Wells on fifteen minutes in and Quinn after twenty, the reshuffled side managed to stem any Paviors attempt at a comeback and actually looked stronger as the game progressed.

Playing with the wind and the slope the Elks were first on the scoreboard with only two minutes gone. Stoker stole a line out and Paviors were penalised on the half way line. Connolly made good use of the the wind to stroke the ball over from 50 metres. The lead was shortlived when from the restart Haigh's pass was intercepted, giving George Billam a run in to the line. With Haigh and Connolly using the elements Paviors were forced to attack from deep. Determined defence prevented the visitors from escaping their own half and winning a scrum close to the twenty two, Haigh attacked the short side. The ruck was won by Quinn and McKelvey and the ball moved to Connolly. he darted through a gap, drew the fullback and fed Stoker who scored between the posts. Connolly converted to give the Elks a 10 - 5 lead after ten minutes.

A piece of silky running from Falls could have stretched the lead but the referee deemed that the ball had not been grounded. Falls however was not to be denied and claimed a try on seventeen minutes to advance the lead to 15 - 5. A further line out steal, this time by Fowkes, brought the backs into play. Dan Taylor broke in midfield, put a long pass to his brother Lewis who took the outside line. As the defence closed his clever inside pass put Falls into the corner. Falls added to his tally on thirty minutes when he slotted a penalty from just inside his own half making it 18 - 5.

Connolly made it 21 - 5 three minutes later with apenalty and quickly followed with another after Haigh was late tackled to increase the lead to 25 - 5. As the half closed the Elks scored the best try of the game. From the restart after Connolly's penalty McKelvey, Fowkes, Wells and Moore drove the ball forward. Quick ball gave Connolly space to release the backs and interplay, showing delightful handling skills, between Lewis Taylor, Gatehouse and Rudkin put Dan Taylor in between the posts. Connolly converted leaving it 31 - 5 at half time.

Playing into the breeze and up the slope in the second half the Elks were required to keep the ball in hand, which they did with consumate skill. Paviors could have registered the first score of the half but Graney pulled his penalty shot wide. Pringle claimed the restart and set Mahoney on a typical searing run. Cinical selection of passes and expert lines of running form Connolly, Haigh, Rudkin and Gatehouse created space for Lewis Taylor to squeeze into the corner making it 36 - 5 with four minutes gone.

The score moved to 43 - 5 two minutes later when from a scrum Connolly dummied his way through the defence. His reverse pass put Dan Taylor through a gap creating a two on one. He timed his pass to perfection and put Mahoney in close to the posts. Connolly converted. The loss of Rudkin, Quinn and Wells within a short space of time, led to a reshuffle with Mahoney and Greg Taylor moving to the back row, Charlton to prop and Gwynne coming in on the wing. The changes destabalised the scrum and could have given Paviors a way back but the Elks had other ideas. From a retreating scrum Haigh picked and attacked the short side where he found
Falls. He fed the ball to Greg Taylor, changed his angle, took a return pass and crashed over in the corner.

At 48 - 5 and with twenty mintues left Paviors gave themselves some hope with two tries, both converted, to claw their way back to 48 - 19. With the final whistle due Mckelvey scavanged a loose ball and popped it to Connolly who dummied his way through a stretched defence and scored between the posts. He converted his own try to leave the final score at 55 - 19. This is the first time the Elks have produced their best form this season and set them up for the trip to second placed Kettering next week.

Man of the match Dan Taylor.