ELKS LOSE TOP OF TABLE ENCOUNTER

Man of the Match – Mat McGuire

This top of the table clash between two unbeaten sides duly lived up to its billing. Played at a furious pace with crunching contact the players rose above the nerves generated by the occasion and displayed a level of skill and desire to move the ball which did them credit.
The home side emerged as the deserved victors but somewhat flattered by the final score with two tries, one converted, coming as they did in the last three minutes.
The encounter was a test of the Elks’ strength in depth as injury had deprived them of a number of key individuals requiring new combinations at half back and in midfield. Whilst these generally functioned well they lacked the fluency of previous weeks with every slip being punished by a speedy and powerful Spalding backline.
Of greater cause for concern however has to be the number of penalties conceded by a side which works itself into threatening field positions only to see the red mist and let the opposition off the hook. Such borderline decision making and skills application cost the Elks dearly on four occasions on Saturday and proved to be a major influence on such a closely contested affair.
With their pre-match preparation disrupted by the late arrival of their bus, having taken a circuitous route of most of south Lincolnshire, the Elks started slowly and found themselves 3-0 down to a Williams’ penalty with only two minutes gone. Playing into the breeze and against the slope the visitors found it difficult to escape from their own half due to the astute tactical kicking of the two Williams brothers operating as a half back pairing.
The Elks forwards quickly established a solid scrummage platform which, as the game wore on, became one of total dominance. The visitors first sign of real intent came from such a scrum with the ball moved wide. Jono Falls found room on the outside but was hauled down close to the try line. The promising situation was squandered when a penalty was awarded against the Elks at the ensuing ruck.
Minutes later another possible scoring opportunity went begging following a further infringement at the ruck after good work from Neil Stenhouse, Scott Rudkin and Dan Mahoney had created the situation. Instead of being in front the Elks found themselves further behind when Spalding put a penalty into the corner. They secured the lineout ball and mauled it over the line for Haighton to claim the score after twenty-one minutes. The lead was extended to 11-0 seven minutes later when Williams slotted a penalty from 25metres and the score remained thus until the break.
With the breeze and the slope the Elks started the second half by reducing the arrears in three minutes through a Jono Falls penalty. However, Spalding showed their intent with the try of the game two minutes later. From a lineout on half way the home side moved the ball wide, won the ruck and then moved the ball back across the pitch fro winger Williamson to squeeze into the corner to make it 16-3.
The Elks could have capitulated but to their credit they began to take advantage of the scrum ball provided by the excellent front row of Craig Charlton, Jason Falls and Mat McGuire. Number 8 Rich Burne took advantage to tie in the Spalding back row and at last the outside backs found some space. Stenhouse’s selection of passes gave Rudkin, James Connolly and Josh Newton opportunities but Spalding’s well organised defence proved equal to the task.
Jono Falls began to make an impact and one of his incursions into the line earned a penalty on the Spalding twenty two which he converted to make the score 16-6 after an hour of the see-saw affair. Paul Shoebridge and Charlton were replaced by Adrian Montague and Gordon Pringle as the Elks continued their fight back. Strong drives by Montague and Steve Mahoney came to nothing but a searing counter attack by Jono Falls earned an attacking scrum five. A solid strike and mighty shunt drove the pack over the line for Burne to claim the try at the base of the scrum. Falls’ conversion bought the Elks to within three points after seventy minutes.
With the clock ticking down the Elks desperately chased the game but Spalding kept them shackled. As so often happens desperation leads to mistakes and two such errors were severely punished in the final minutes of the game with tries from Breslin and Williams, one converted, to leave it 28-13 at the final whistle.