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Dalesmen too powerful for Bridlington

The battle for league honours became a three horse race as Ilkley brushed aside a plucky young Bridlington side in ghastly conditions at Stacks Field. Bradford Salem just failed to overcome Selby, losing to an injury time score, to leave just Sandal, Ilkley and Selby to challenge for league one second or even top spot. Leaders Sandal dropped a point in a rare nil-nil draw at Keighley to leave them technically catchable. With two weeks out of league rugby – next week’s match is Yorkshire Shield 3rd round tie against Yarnbury at Brownberrie Lane and a friendly the week after – league rugby resumes at lowly Sheffield on 29^th March. Sandal have 34 points, Ilkley 32 and Selby 30. So the nail biting finish in the race for automatic promotion and play-off spots continues to fascinate the statisticians.

The second placed side plays off against Northumberland & Durham league one runners-up. Currently Billingham and Northern lead the league with 34 points each. The side with highest number of league points gets home advantage in the play-off scheduled for 26^th April.

The heavy rain forecast all day arrived on cue at precisely 3 p.m. Some of the large crowd who had been sumptuously wined and dined pre-match took one look outside and opted for the comfort of watching England’s debacle in Scotland, but many hardy souls, including the Yorkshire RFU President and his wife, braved the elements to witness the demolition of a young Bridlington side bearing little resemblance to the Brid of old. This is clearly a side with lots of talent for the future but today, they simply were not up to the power and speed of the Dalesmen.

Seven tries, four conversions and a penalty goal clinched a 46 point to nil victory in which Brid only fleetingly threatened a reply.

Deep in the second period they spent five minutes battering away at Ilkley’s now legendary defence with a series of penalties. They were finally beaten off as the inevitable mistake in the wet and soggy conditions allowed Ilkley to clear and then benefit from a penalty plus thirty metres for backchat. Their only threat in the first half was extinguished with a fantastic cover tackle from Liam Frost who just got his fingertips on the shirt of Brid’s winger Stevens.

Ilkley’s scrum was imperious. Every put-in, whether on own head or against, was likely to be an Ilkley ball. Going back at a prodigious rate is a real disheartener and offers the side suffering such punishment no chance of advancing. Brid suffered with dignity but little resistance in the set pieces.

The Ilkley lineout was totally secure, both on short and long ball, and their driving off the line was immense, driving 20 or 30 metres almost at will.

At the back of the scrum they out-witted, out-fought and out-smarted Brid.

Out wide too they had the power, speed and skill in abundance, though it was difficult to show off the real talent in the conditions.

The Dalesmens’ tries were spread across the match, each one a hammer blow to the Brid youngsters.

The first was a beauty. Ilkley turned over a Brid ruck on half way and whipped the ball down the line and then back inside to Liam Frost, who had made the ground initially, to score after only a minute.

The second came after 20 minutes. Brid's scrum was pushed off the ball but somehow scrambled clear. Ilkley’s lineout was caught and driven 15 metres to earn a penalty. Another lineout close in was won and the ball recycled through three phases before Fred Matthews burst through to score. Peter Shanks improved.

The third followed quickly after. The Dalesmen were totally in charge. Another disrupted Brid scrum gave Ilkley a lineout. The superb Dan Wright charged for the line. Brid knocked on. Ilkley’s scrum was a formality. Stuart Brewer picked off the back and drove over. Shanks converted.

A couple of minutes later he added a penalty goal just to put the score into the 20’s before half time and before losing the wind advantage. His kick was true.

22 - 0 at the break.

Coach Kay was confident enough to ring the changes and give all the replacements a good run.

Reiner Botha replaced the splendid Richard Kemble, and later Ollie Coughlan came on for Nick Heron (what a wealth of good number nines the club has) and Gareth Archer gave Matthews a rest.

Playing into the wind was not a problem for this Ilkley side.

Another Ilkley scrum provided great ball for Frost to find some space and a gap to outpace the Brid defence for his brace. Shanks converted.

Brewer added another off the back of a scrum shortly after to bag a brace of his own. Shanks was again successful with the kick to make it 36 - 0.

Ilkley were coasting and for a while Brid burst into life whilst the Dalesmen toiled and spilt ball that might have made a (England?!) cricket score.

Late tries were added by the mercurial Jack Shaylor. He got a pass on half way, jinked one way, then the other, vociferously encouraged from the touchline to pass. He shaped to oblige but held on and jinked and dazzled, ducked and dived, weaving his way past several now tired and demoralised Brid defenders to score a trademark try.

Botha added another in the final couple of minutes, picking up off the back of a ruck before touching down.

Shanks’ boot couldn’t improve the last two scores keeping 50 points off the board, but 46 – 0 was a great score after a classy all-round performance by the Dalesmen.

Referee Mr Jonathan Hill had a good game and was consistent throughout with his decisions, penalising holding on remorselessly. If there is any criticism of his game, it was with not allowing advantage to crystallise. Maybe, in the conditions, he could have excercised a little more tolerance. Maybe he felt it necessary to keep on top of the game at all times. That, after all, is his prerogative!

Ilkley’s second fifteen had another tough league match, this time at probably the league’s strongest side Wharfedale. Having lost to them at home by a lot of points early season the Dalesmen had revenge on the agenda. Wharfedale and the weather had other ideas. An ice storm during the first half had the referee contemplating calling the match off. Certainly a number of Ilkley players had the most severe exfoliate of their lives! However play did continue and tries late in both halves and one more contrived to their first reversal for a number of weeks. 15 – 0 was the final score. A satisfactory performance was the verdict. Full respect was given to a classy Wharfedale outfit who deserved their victory.

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