Elks return to winning ways.

Steve Quinn - Classic Drinks Man of the Match

On a quite sunny afternoon the Elks were looking to put last weeks disappointing loss to Mansfield behind them with a victory over winless Market Bosworth who were languishing at the foot of the table.

The Elks welcomed back front row regulars Mat McGuire and Jason Falls from injury and with Adam Stoker and Bryn Vernon unavailable, Paul Shoebridge partnered George Darby in the second row. Toby Fenn made his home debut at openside, deputising for Adam Corcoran who is not due back until next week.
It says volumes for the strength in depth of the squad that, with players either injured or not available for selection, the team did not show any weaknesses which in turn has raised an eyebrow or two at recent results and performances.

The game kicked off with a smaller than usual crowd fully expecting the Elks to return to their expansive best against Bosworth.
However, the visitors were more than a match for the Elks during a scrappy opening quarter with neither side adapting to the strong cross field breeze which in turn kept referee Mr. Trevor Sharp busy with both sides making a series of handling errors.

The Elks breakthrough came after eighteen minutes when skipper Rich Burne picked up from the base of the scrum and fed centre Dan Taylor. His break allowed Ben Gatehouse a bit of space to charge for the line. Greg Taylor was on Gatehouse’s shoulder when he was stopped just short of the Bosworth line to take the pass out of the tackle to go over in the corner for an unconverted try giving the Elks a 5-0 lead.

The try, however, was the only bright spot in the opening half hour in which Bosworth belied their lowly position and attacked the Elks at every opportunity and winger Stafford was making inroads but his time on the pitch was cut short with a chest injury. On thirty two minutes the Elks increased their lead to 12-0 when a handling error gave Ilkeston a scrum fifteen metres from the Bosworth goal line. Flanker Steve Quinn broke through several tackles to make the gap for centre Dan Taylor to crash over between the posts which JJ Connolly converted.

Again the score failed to lift the Elks performance and in fact it was Bosworth who raised their game and forced an error which produced a breakaway try to bring the score to a respectable 12-7 on the stroke of half time. Alan Cook was guilty over an over ambitious long pass intended for winger Ben Newton but was intercepted by centre Bromby who, with Ilkeston in attacking mode, intercepted the pass and had just enough pace to take him over the Elks’ line with Murrey adding the conversion. Despite most of the play the Elks failed to take their opportunities in what was a very scrappy first half.

Half time rang the changes with Connolly retiring with a hamstring pull to be replaced by Scott Rudkin. Tom Holland replaced Marc Moore in the front row which allowed the move of Jason Falls to hooker. The substitution had there desired effect with reduced errors and back to basics. On forty eight minutes Darby was central in a rolling maul that edged towards and over the Bosworth line. Mat McGuire was last up clutching the ball and claiming the try. Greg Taylor assumed the kicking duties from Connolly but pulled his attempt left leaving the score at 17-7.

McGuire’s try had a galvanising effect on the Elks who gradually wore down the opposition, who could feel a little aggrieved at the score line. On sixty five minutes the Elks increased their lead when the ever impressive back row of Quinn, Fenn and Burne combined to give scrum half Andrew Chapman time and space to feed full back Greg Taylor who combined with Cook to put Newton over in the corner. Taylor misjudged the wind and with the conversion missed the score went on to 22-7.

The Elks now settled into a rhythm and looked a different outfit to that of the first half. An injury to Jason Falls forced his retirement and was replaced in the front row by the returning Marc Moore. Ben Gatehouse crowned his final game for the Elks, before embarking on world tour, with a try on seventy two minutes when after good work by the back division he scored in the corner. He left himself with a difficult shot at goal which he duly pulled to the right leaving the score 27-7.

A minute from time the back row got the try they deserved when Chapman took a quick tap penalty and passed to Fenn who slipped through a gap to score under the posts. Taylor brought the final score to 34-7 with his conversion. Inevitably the Man of the Match award went to one of the back row forwards and Quinn just nicked the award from Fenn with his battling display.