Elks Return to Winning Ways at Buzzard

Classic Drinks Man of the Match – Lewis Taylor.

Ilkeston brought their recent run of poor form to an end on Saturday with a hard fought victory over Leighton Buzzard at Wright’s Meadow.
In a pulsating encounter, in which ten tries were scored, five to each side, the difference between the two sides was two Jonno Falls conversions. With both sides looking to move the ball the chilly crowd were warmed by a number of well constructed and executed tries, the pick of which were the two scored by Lewis Taylor.
The visitors started strongly but were unable to take advantage of their early pressure. Turnovers and penalties conceded inside the home side’s half made for a frustrating first twenty minutes for the Elks. Having soaked up the pressure Buzzard made their first visit to the Elk’s twenty two after the first quarter of the game and were instantly awarded with a try from a well rehearsed lineout ploy. Baroux secured the ball and Wilkes peeled, found a gap and strolled over.
Encouraged by the score and making good use of the slope Buzzard pinned the Elks inside their own half and would have increased their lead had Lewis Taylor not intervened with a try saving tackle. However, the pressure could not be denied and a second try came on twenty nine minutes when Siddon stole the ball at the back of a scrum and moved the ball to Yirrell who sliced through a stretched defence to move the score onto 10-0.
As halftime approached the Elks at last found rhythm and a solid scrum enabled Steve Quinn to break from the bae and feed the ball infield where swift hands from Ben Gatehouse and Alex Ayres sent Greg Taylor on a run. He beat the defence on the outside , drew covering defender Ratcliffe, and fed the ball inside to Brother Lewis who touched down close to the posts to make it 10-7 following a Falls conversion. However, failure to cope with the restart gave Buzzard a lineout in the corner and another well rehearsed lineout move allowed Micaus to peel around the front and score in the corner leaving the Elks trailing 15-7 at half time.
The Elks were first out the blocks in the second half, assisted by the considerable slope, and fashioned a try from deep inside their own half after ten minutes. Greg Taylor turned the ball over and fed Quinn who linked with Steve Fowkes and Josh Meakin. The ball was quickly won at the ruck and scrum-half Joel Haigh moved the ball swiftly wide where deft touches from Greg Taylor and Ben Wells gave Lewis Taylor just enough space to weave his way inot the corner and make it 15-12.
The visitors took the lead for the first time five minutes later from a lineout secured by Simon Bennett when the ball was moved across the field through numerous phases. Paul Shoebridge, who has replaced Russ Garland in the second row, powered through tackles and linked with Gatehouse who broke into the twenty two. A quick ruck fed Marc Moore showing deft hands to link with Elliott Gwynne who in turn offloaded in the tackle to open-side Tom McKelvey who crashed over in the corner. Falls’ touchline conversion nudged the Elks into a 15-19 lead.
The lead was increased from the restart when Bennett, Moore and Fowkes drove the ball forward with the move being continued by Falls, Wells and Meakin before Gatehouse through a long pass giving Gwynne enough space to round his man and dive into the corner to increase the lead to 15-24. Injured in scoring the try Gwynne was replaced by Scott Rudkin who joined the battle for his first appearance in seven weeks following his extended holiday to the southern hemisphere.
Failure, once again, to deal with the restart allowed Buzzard back into the game with a decisive piece of running and a try by Taylor to bring them back into the game at 20-24 with twenty three minutes left to play. The Elks doubled their efforts and added a fifth try with five minutes remaining. A Fowkes lineout take was driven forward but held up close to the line. Restarting the move good interplay from both backs and forwards moved the ball wide to Greg Taylor whose angled run earned him a try wide out and giving the visitors a 20-29 advantage.
As the game entered injury time poor concentration and lax defending saw Buzzard also score their fifth try and set up a nervous few minutes for the visitors with the score at 25-29. However, the Elks safely navigated the remaining time to claim victory with a bonus point.
Next week sees the Elks return to the Stute after the two long road trips when they entertain Market Rasen & Louth k.o.14:15