Newark got the game underway and the kick was caught by Stephen Fowkes and Ilkeston spread the ball over to the left and back again, stretching the Newark defence who gave away a penalty at the breakdown. The kick to touch resulted in the start of a good supply of clean lineout ball from Paul Shoebridge and Fowkes all game. The lineout was punched up the middle by Dan Taylor deep into the Newark 22m, with good pressure from Ilkeston, taking the ball first left then right which saw Hugh Smith into the fray where he stayed all game. An early penalty on the Newark 22 gave Joel Haigh his first chance to start the score board ticking, which he duly did to put Ilkeston 0-3 up on 5 minutes.

The Newark restart went out on the full and so the midway scrum saw Ilkeston attacking up on the right with good pressure resulting in another Newark infringement, kick to touch and a catch and drive from the Ilkeston pack at the beginning of their ascendancy. The drive was held up over the line and from the resulting Ilkeston scrum, Dan Taylor was again used to punch the ball up the centre. A mix of good handling and quick pick and drives from the forwards found the Ilkeston pack marauding up the left hand side in front of the home crowd and Steve Quinn going over for a try on the 9 minute mark, converted by Haigh to bring the score line to 0-10.

Newark’s high hanging restart allowed them to gather the ball which gave them an opportunity to gain a foothold on the game. However, having spent 10 minutes without the ball, they decided to kick it away.

That said, the Ilkeston clearance kick down field was chased by offside players in front of the posts, handing Newark a glimmer of hope. They were unable to punish Ilkeston for their error, pushing the ball wide of the uprights. The first of several clever short 22m restarts by Ilkeston where catching Newark off their guard, allowing the Elks to spin the ball wide left where they were tackled into touch for a Newark Lineout.

With the rare possession given away again by a Newark offside penalty, Jake Lamb’s attempted touch kick was missed allowing Newark to clear to half way. Confidence was high in the Elks backline now who began attacking at will, first left then right. The only possession Newark were getting was deep in their 22m under huge pressure resulting in a poor clearance kick that saw Shoebridge secure the lineout ball. Setting up the catch and drive, Adam Corcoran claimed the score out wide, which was mercilessly converted by Haigh, crushing Newark’s spirit with his fine kicking display. So, 17 minutes gone and 0-17 up.

The Elks gathered the restart and Quinn punched up the middle who took a knock for his efforts, giving Newark a chance to regroup. When play restarted good Ilkeston pressure meant that all Newark could do with their possession was clear their lines - handing the ball back to a dominant Ilkeston side. Shoebridge again winning clean ball at the front allowed the Elks to spin the ball wide to the left where the Newark’s blind side flanker was shown a yellow card on the 23 minute mark as the Referee took charge of the repeated infringements at the breakdown.

The resulting catch and drive from the lineout was stole by Newark leading to a scrum where the Ilkeston back row were penalised for not binding fully. Newark cleared their lines but the lack of possession was beginning to show as things went from bad to worse in the lineout where a missed throw landed into Haigh’s hands, who sniped to towards the Newark try line as the stunned home crowd could only look on in disbelief. His offload to Shoebridge’s barnstorming charge towards the line was eventually turned over by Newark, again kicking to touch under immense pressure from the Elks.

Another Fowkes lineout take in the middle saw another catch and drive from the Elks pack, resulting in another penalty from Newark at the breakdown. The kick to touch meant the Elks where able to repeat this again. This time though, the ball was spun wide from the advancing maul but a rare Ilkeston infringement allowed Newark off the hook. A quick tap penalty from Newark saw them take play up to the Ilkeston 10m line and another kick in behind by the Newark 10 was dealt with by the Ilkeston back 3, who started an attack up the left, but a handling mistake saw the ball travel forward into touch.

Newark punched it up in the centre from the scrum and good work by Ayres turned the ball over on the Newark 10m. Scrappy play by the Elks saw Newark use a cross kick, finding Ilkeston off side. Newark converted the penalty on 32 minutes to take the score 3-17.

Another high quality restart from Jake Lamb was gathered by Newark, who then used their pick and drive game to good effect using 12 on the crash needing Matt Mcquire to put his body on the line for his team mates to halt the Newark attack. Mcquire struggled to recover from the shoulder injury and was replaced by Simon Hallam just before half time as was Shoebridge with Jake Smithurst shortly afterwards.

Newark had their best period so far, when following a penalty infringement they kicked to the Ilkeston 22m and took good ball from the tail of the lineout using the prop peeling round and attacking in the channel. Brought down short, the ball was spun wide but again the Elks back line defence was solid and the play bundled into touch to mark the end of the half with the score 3-17 in Ilkeston’s favour.

The Elks restarted play with Newark gathering the ball, they quickly won a penalty and elected to kick to touch on the Ilkeston 22m. Newark won their lineout and punched up the middle, then back blind, where Dan Taylor made a superb tackle on the winger, leaving brother Lewis to pick up and run in the corner with 2 minutes gone on the clock. Yet again, Haigh was on hand to convert the score through the centre of the uprights to shutdown Newark’s short lived revival and leaving the score 3-24.

Newark were running out of ideas as everything they tried was disrupted by a sharper more keen Ilkeston side who were in no mood to tolerate their mistakes – punishing them ruthlessly.

Newark’s woes continued as Ilkeston gave away a penalty at the breakdown only for the Newark kicker to send the ball out of touch in goal, resulting in another clever 22m restart from Corcoran. Josh Meakin was on hand to start a series of pick and drives up to the Ilkeston 10m line. Another infringement by Newark saw a rare missed kick to touch and Newark returned the ball to the half way using pick and drives and punching up in the centres, but ending with a Newark knock on.

An early hit by Newark at the scrum saw the ever present Haigh take a quick tap penalty and spin the ball wide, where from the resultant breakdown, Newark were punished for interfering with the Elks scrum half and the second yellow card of the day was shown to a Newark player. The kick to touch saw Fowkes win the lineout that was spun wide to see Dan Mahoney taking a sublime angle back inside to slice open the heart of the Newark’s defence, drawing a last desperate tackle to bring him down just short of the try line. From the resultant scrum, Newark again used their pick and drive game to make it to their 22m, only to knock the ball on.

The Elks scrum won, Greg Taylor took it on in the centre and the ball was spun back left to Lewis, setting up a ruck just short of the try line, but the ball was turned over and Newark again picked and drove to clear the threat. Newark won the lineout at the tail and drove up to their 10m line only to knock on.

Hallam then produced his best scrum of the afternoon at tight head having to step in since replacing Mcguire late in the first half. Earlier problems were settled and the scrum won, the ball went right, but a loose pass by Lamb went forward handing the scrum put in to Newark. Good pressure and hassling by Haigh meant Newark had scrappy ball to deal with and they again used their 12 to punch it up in centre to their 10m line. Another cross kick was caught by Lewis Taylor, linking well with brother Greg and Alex Ayres to create quick recycled ball to Lamb with the ball eventually ending up out of play on the Newark 5m line. Newark won their own put in, but drove sideways and a scrappy series of plays ended with a penalty allowing Newark to clear their lines to half way. Newark won the lineout and using the pick and drive started to attack, but true to form, it ended with another knock on.

Ilkeston won the scrum on the Elks 22m and used Ayres to take it on to 10m line, where it was spun wide, linking with Greg and Dan but a knock on gave Newark the scrum on the 10m. A Newark pick up by the 8 was well dealt with by Watkins who caused a turnover. Haigh, Ayres and Greg Taylor all combined to feed Dan Taylor cutting back inside on a quality line to go over for the try. Haigh again showing no mercy with the conversion. The score was now 3-31 with 20 minutes remaining.

Newark’s restart was gathered by the Newark winger but turned over and Lamb and Dan Taylor spun the ball wide to Lewis Taylor who was tackled into touch for a Newark lineout. They used their catch and drive to go from 10m to 10m and then won a penalty as Ilkeston were offside at the ruck, but this only produced a scrappy period of play from both sides.

At this point, Shoebridge returned to the field of play for Watkins which meant a back row re-shuffle. The next attack saw Fowkes taking it up to the Newark 22m, but a turnover allowed Newark to take play back to the half way where an Elks penalty for being off their feet at a ruck saw a kick to touch by Newark, but Ilkeston stole the ball at the tail from a poor throw but knocked it on. Newark won the scrum and used the pick and drive and punch in the centre again but the Elks turned it over and kicked to the Newark 10m.

The catch and drive by Newark was disrupted by Josh Meakin who stole the ball from a poor maul coming straight through the heart, the ball was passed wide, using - you’ve guessed it, Taylor to Taylor to Taylor to Ayres who scored in the corner, standing in as Taylor brother number 4 who has not been enticed into playing for the Elks - yet. Haigh could do no wrong and true to form converted the score to bring the score line to 3-38 with 10 minutes remaining.

Credit to newark for not giving in, late Newark pressure using their tail of the line out and peel with their front row looked threatening but was dealt with calmly by Lamb with resolute defence to bring the game to a close.

Ilkeston just had too much firepower and Newark were starved of possession for large periods of the game and when possession did come their way the pressure exerted by the Elks defence was just too strong.

Man of the Match Joel Haigh who beat off stiff competition from several team mates as you might expect from a good all round team performance, including Fowkes, Ayres and the ever present Taylor brothers.

Next week Market Rasen and Louth at Home, 3pm Kick off.

Link to Ilkeston Advertiser report