Elks Lose Thrilling Encounter

The two form sides in the league produced a thrilling encounter at Haslams on Saturday. The result went with the home side, enabling them to keep first place, but the losing bonus point ensured the visitors retained fourth position and kept alive hopes of a play off spot. The long lay off was evident in the early runs as both sides worked to shrug off the festive periods excesses and reaquaint themselves with the demands of league rugby.

The Elks exerted the early pressure and were rewarded five minutes in when McKelvey scored. From a penalty on half way Haigh put the ball deep into Derby's twenty two. Fowkes secured the line out and the pack mauled forward. As the line approached McKelvey peeled off and forced his way over. Connollys conversion established a 0 - 7 lead. From the restart the Elks were penalised but Meddings shot fell short from a distance. He made amends thirteen minutes in when sustained pressure from the home side gave him a simple chance which he converted to take the score to 3 - 7.

As the game gathered pace and both sides found rythym a stalemate developed with defences denying space and time and preventing phases building into scoring chances. The Elks were securing scrum ball with Pringle, Moore and Wells providing a solid platform. The line out was also functioning and Fowkes, Stoker, Quinn and Bennett all provided a supply of usable ball. That ball however was not always put to best use as poor execution of kicks out of hand gave the lively Derby backs too many opportunities to counter, invitations which they eagerly accepted. The Elks were also guilty of not looking after the ball in contact and turnovers inside the Derby twenty two proved costly.

The ten minutes leading up to half time illustrated the fact for the Elks and effectively decided the game as Derby scored three tries to give them a 20 - 7 lead at the interval. All came from poor kicks or turnovers deep inside Derby territory. The first when Manning fielded a kick and ripped a broken defence to pieces before feeding Meddings for a try which he then converted. This was quickly followed with Manning benefitting from a turnover inside his twenty two and breaking out to feed Taylor-Dawes who scored wide out. Another poor kick from defence gave Derby a further chance to counter and good hands in the backs created a score for Robinson for the last act of the half.

Playing into the breeze the shell shocked Elks could have capitulated in the second half but they regrouped and took the game to the home side to such an extent that they denied them any further score. Lewis Taylor was forced off at the interval and replaced by Jake lamb who was quickly into the action to force Robinson into touch and earn a line out. Fowkes took a quick throw and McKelvey moved the ball to Haigh who fed Connolly. He found Greg Taylor in space and he slalomed his way through the Derby defence from half way. Connolly converted to make it 20 - 14 with barely five minutes of the half gone.

From the restart Connolly and McKelvey combined to take Connolly within metres of the line but the chance went begging. The remainder of the half saw the story repeated with the Elks exerting pressure and creating chances but failing to produce the killer touch in the last quarter of the field. Mahoney, Gatehouse and skipper Dan Taylor worked hard to find space and ignite a spark but Derby's defence, and basic errors prevented a score. Quinn probably created the best chance when he picked from a ruck and burst through tackles only to be hauled down close to the line.

In the end the difference between two very evenly matched sides was Derby's ability to to finish the chances they created and play with a confidence which comes from sitting top of the table with only one defeat this season. The Elks can reflect and take confidence from the fact that this was a game they could have won. They now need to regroup and prepare for the visit of the improving Loughborough at the Stute on Saturday.

Man of the match - Tom McKelvey