LAST GASP POINT SALVAGED BY ELKS

Classic Drinks Man of the Match – Scott Rudkin.

There can be few sporting venues as glorious as Cromford Meadows on a warm autumn afternoon. With the rolling hills swathed in the colours of the fall as a backdrop, the scene had a calming air more suited to a leisurely stroll than a game of rugby.

The setting certainly had a soporific effect on the visiting Elks as they sleepwalked their way through sixty minutes, allowing Matlock to build up a seventeen point lead, before they sprung into action and rescued a point with a show of sublime attacking rugby.

While the visitors enjoyed the scenery the home side went about the business of grabbing what appeared to be a comfortable lead feasting on any number of Elks’ errors. The lack of cohesion and error count in the Elks’ play can, to a greater extent, be explained by the number of enforced changes to the starting line up. With twelve regulars injured or unavailable the side had mix and match look to it. Three debutants made an appearance, Chris Clarke at prop, Joel Haigh on the wing and Rory Maddocks in the back row. All made valuable contributions and speaks volumes for the strength in depth being developed at the Club.

The opening exchanges were dominated by the home side. The Elks’ failure to find touch and astute tactical kicking from Hooton and Hartley pinned the visitors inside their own twenty two. A penalty at a scrum close to the line saw Morton tap and offload to his forwards. The defence was slow to react and Matlock mauled their way over with Brookes claiming the try on seven minutes. The Elks could have reduced the arrears from the restart but JJ Connolly pulled his effort wide from forty metres.

As the Elks settled Steve Quinn and Connolly began to exert an influence and take the game to Matlock. Scott Rudkin tried to instil some urgency and combined with Dan Mahoney to create a chance for Toby Fenn but the home defence held firm. Matlock’s second score came against the run of play and from a situation which appeared to offer no real threat. Hartley’s speculative kick appeared to be covered by Jono Falls but the ball bounced away from his grasp and back into Hartley’s arms for the try.

Worse was to come for the Elks when Falls broke through the middle shortly after the restart only to pull up sharply with a torn hamstring, which looks as thought it will keep him sidelined for some time, and was helped from the field as reorganisation took place. Dan Taylor moved to full back, Fenn to the centre and Maddocks came off the bench to take up a berth at openside flanker.

The start of the second half saw the Elks fall further behind and again the score came courtesy of an error whilst in possession. An attempted switch in midfield saw the ball spilt, Matlock hacked on and Mahoney was forced to concede a lineout five metres out. The home side’s forwards duly sealed the throw and drove over for a try, converted by Morton, to bring the score to 17 – 0.

As the game entered the last quarter the Elks finally came alive. The scrum began to get an edge as Mat McGuire, Marc Moore and Tom Holland tested their tiring opposite numbers. The advantage continued when Holland retired with a head injury to be replaced by Clarke. This was Clarke’s first appearance since joining from Amber Valley at the start of the season. The lineout also started to pay dividends where Paul Shoebridge, Bryn Vernon and skipper Rich Burne gave the backs something to work with. As the forwards got the upper hand the Elks began to dominate the breakdown providing quick ball which scrum half Andrew Chapman put to good use.

With ten minutes remaining the Elks finally got on the scoreboard when Matlock failed to find touch inside their own half and Taylor and Mahoney combined to put Haigh on a run. Matlock infringed at the breakdown, earning a yellow card, and Chapman took a quick penalty, darted forward and fed his forwards who drove the ball on for McGuire to crash over and claim the score. Connolly converted to bring the score to 17 – 7.

The Elks continued to press and a wayward Matlock kick was taken by Taylor. He moved the ball infield to Rudkin whose long pass put Haigh into space where his pace took him clear of the defence and into the corner. Connolly dropped the conversion narrowly short from wide out leaving the score 17 – 10.

As the game entered the final stages of injury time the move of the game earned the Elks a draw. From a lineout on halfway the ball was moved into midfield where the ruck was quickly won, the ball moved wide where Vernon charged forward. As the tackle came he skilfully offloaded behind his back and set Mahoney on a weaving run infield. He fed Connolly whose inch perfect cross field kick fell into Haigh’s arms. He was dragged down inches short of the line but kept the ball alive and fed the supporting Maddocks who dived over to level the scores at 17 – 17. From wide out Connolly’s kick fell inches wide, much to the relief of the Matlock players many of whom could not bring themselves to look at the attempt, and referee Claire Hodnett signalled the end of a game which lasted some one hundred and two minutes due to the amount of injuries sustained in the bruising encounter.