Man of the Match – Rich Burne

Ilkeston continued their league campaign at the Stute on Saturday with a comprehensive and impressive victory, which mirrored the fireworks of the display on Friday night at the same venue, over visitors Lincoln. The win takes them back to joint leaders with Spalding and Melton Mowbray and only denied the top spot by points difference.
The seventy one points recorded were scored at regular intervals during the game and came from tries from Dan Taylor and Scott Rudkin, with three each, Rich Burne with two and one apiece from Josh Newton, Alan Cook and Bryn Locke. Jono Falls added one conversion and JJ Connolly seven.
Lincoln’s reply of nineteen points owed much to their never say die spirit and the impressive pace of winger Matt Meanwell who made good use of meagre possession to claim three tries of his own.
Despite playing up the slope and into the breeze the Elks started strongly and scored three tries within the first twenty minutes. As in previous weeks the forwards quickly established a solid platform in the scrum and lineout. The first outing for the front row combination of Gordon Pringle, Mat McGuire and Dean Chapman operated as though they had played together for years and demonstrated the strength in depth that the Elks are developing in this area. The lineout , with Adam Stoker and Locke as chief ball winners, also looked a competent unit and there was responsible for the first score with only three minutes on the clock. A Stoker take was close to the Lincoln line was driven over for Classic Wines Man of the Match No.8 Burne to claim the first of his two tries.
A lineout steal by Adrian Montague provided the ball for the second try by Taylor whose timing, pace and footwork enabled him to score a superb individual effort. Jono Falls became the provider for the third when he drifted off his wing and ghosted through a gap in midfield before putting Rudkin over from two metres. However, his exploits resulted in a hamstring tweak. Physio Owen Ledbetter decided on precautionary measures to pull the winger off and he was replaced by Owen Jackson.
Reeling from the onslaught Lincoln fought to establish a foothold on the game. To their credit they showed a willingness to move the ball with Jake Williams, Matt Meanwell and Dave Ferguson all showing a turn of pace. Their efforts, however, were denied by an Elks’ defence determined to derive them of any comfort. Rudkin, Cook and Connolly sealed the midfield whilst Newton, Taylor and Jackson marshalled the side areas. The Elks scored a further three tries before Lincoln posted a score and half time.
On twenty five minutes a powerful forward drive from McGuire and open side Steve Mahoney provided ball for Rudkin and Cook to combine and put Newton over in the corner. A searing break by Taylor from inside his own twenty two again set Cook and Rudkin free. Their combination of passes mesmerised the visitor’s defence and enabled to Rudkin to score from fully two metres. Having acting as provider Taylor became a beneficiary when slick hands from Chapman, Stoker and McGuire put him in space inside the Lincoln twenty two and Taylor’s pace and jinking run completed the score.
With half time approaching the Elks conceded their first penalty after thirty eight minutes, a sign of the discipline imposed since last week when the penalty count was unacceptable. Their error was duly punished when the resulting lineout was moved wide for Meanwell to power through on the angle and leave the half time score 38 – 5 to the Elks.
In the early stages of the second half McGuire was replaced by Jason Falls and before the Elks had time to settle Lincoln reduced the arrears to 38 – 12 with Meanwell’s second try. But if the visitors felt there was hope Taylor reminded them that it would not be easy with another fine individual try to complete his hat trick.
Craig Charlton joined the battle replacing Dean Chapman. Lincoln made their last contribution to the score fifteen minutes into the half through the impressive Meanwell’s third try.
However, the Elks’ reshaped front row offered no respite to their embattled opposite numbers. Indeed they were so effective that by sixty six minutes the visitors had run out of front row replacements and the last fourteen minutes were played with uncontested scrums. Cook was next on the score sheet for the Elks when he stepped and swivelled his way over just before the hour. Not to be outdone a Stoker lineout steal saw scrum half Chris Kemsley organise his men and march them over for Burne’s second try. Kemsley was involved again when a sniping break from his own twenty two allowed Mahoney, Charlton, Pringle and Cook to combine and fashion a try for Locke.
Cook’s exertions caused a reoccurrence of the groin problem that kept him out of last weeks game and the Elks played the last ten minutes with fourteen men. Despite the deficit in numbers the home side finished the stronger. Locke provided lineout ball , Connolly’s finely timed pass put Taylor into a gap and his pass gave Rudkin the opportunity to cal a fine performance by completing his hat trick.