ELKS FOUR TRY SHOW WINS SPOILS

Classic Drinks Man of the Match – Simon Bennett.

The Elks travelled to the rural setting of joint bottom of the league Market Bosworth. To date their only victory was at home to Matlock whom the Elks entertain next Saturday.

On a bleak afternoon, punctuated by drizzle, Ilkeston continued with their recent trend of building a lead and then sitting back. Luckily, this time they managed to cling on for a victory which brings them ever closer to the mathematical certainty of safety. Injury and unavailability again forced the Elks to field a new look back row with Simon Bennett at No.8, flanked by Rory Maddocks and Toby Fenn. The versatile Adam Corcoran filled in at centre with the youngest of the three Taylor brothers, Lewis, being the sole representative of the family and slotting in at full back. There was also a welcome return to first team duty for veteran Ellis Hallam on the wing, who marked the occasion with a try.

From the kick off the Elks started at a similar fast pace as witnessed last week at Derby and were rewarded for their constant pressure after seven minutes when Bennett rampaged through the home side defence on half way only to have Bosworth’s open-side knock the ball forward out of his hand. Fly half Andy Thompson drilled the ball into the corner for an attacking lineout. Adam Stoker took the throw cleanly and fed Fenn who crashed over for an unconverted try and take a 0-5 lead.

On twelve minutes the Elks increased their lead when a quickly taken tap penalty by Thompson found Corcoran in space. Corcoran took the tackles from the oncoming defence but still managed to find fellow centre Scott Rudkin who drew the remaining defence had the simple task of feeding Hallam who sprinted over for another unconverted try in the opposite corner.

Up until now little had been seen of the Bosworth attack and the Elks’ pack was dominant. The front row of Mat McGuire, Marc Moore and Jason Falls were on top in the scrum and Stoker and Paul Shoebridge being clearly the better lineout unit. It was therefore no surprise on thirty two minutes when a poor Bosworth clearance failed to find touch and was collected by Hallam. Taylor was in support and he had Dan Mahoney on his shoulder to create the overlap and take his chance and scored the third unconverted try taking the Elks’ lead up to 0-15.

On the stroke of half time a rare attack by Bosworth and loose defensive play by Rudkin and scrum-half Joel Haigh allowed Bosworth’s No.8 to release his right wing who took his opportunity to score an unconverted try leaving the half time score at 5-15.

The second half started as the first, with good attacking play by the Elks and poor defending by Bosworth. Again Hallam collected a poor clearance kick and started the move which led to Rudkin taking a clever, defence splitting, pass from Fenn and score the Elks fourth try. The conversion attempt was again missed, with Thompson was not having a good day with the boot, and the Elks had moved into a 5-20 lead. Falls was replaced by Tom Holland in the front-row but the Elks remained well on top and the forwards rolling maul took the play over the goal line for Bennett to touch down. Their joy was short lived as the referee awarded a five metre scrum claiming his view was obscured despite him being positioned alongside the maul from Bosworth’s twenty two metre line.

The decision appeared to give Bosworth a lift and it drew the negativity from the Elks seen in previous weeks when in similar positions. On the hour Taylor was caught in possession inside his twenty two by the Bosworth loose head and he ripped the ball and rumbled ball over for Bosworth’s second unconverted try and reducing the lead to10-20.

Mahoney was replaced for health reasons, apparently his mother’s 50th birthday celebration was not to be missed, by Paul Stevenson and Damon Holmes replaced Maddocks. Bosworth were now firmly in the driving seat and the Elks were required to defend stoutly. Bennett was penalised for not rolling away after the tackle and given a yellow card in the seventy first minute meant his afternoon was over. Bosworth made the extra man tell with their full back joining the line and receiving the ball to score and convert his own try and bring the score up to 17-20.

With their tails up Bosworth pushed for the winning score but resolute defence by the Elks repelled waves of attacks and kept them out. There was relief all round when Haigh jettisoned the ball into touch and the referee blew for full time.