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No crumbs for Dalesmen in another second half collapse

A least the Ilkley club pick up a small but welcome cheque from the RFU for their short-lived participation in the EDF Trophy which is in its final season as energy producers and suppliers EDF move their sponsorship to other headline activities. The Olympic games is, no doubt, one candidate for the energy companies’ millions between now and 2012.

Stacks Field welcomed many stars of yesteryear to their pre-match sponsored lunch. Many of the assembled guests remembered, not just amateur rugby, but leather studs and balls, when dribbling was a skill in the game and when the match on a Saturday was just about having a good old ding dong and a few pints afterwards. Nowadays the pressure on the young men who take the field each week is much greater. There is the crowd anticipating success, the passage to the next round or the precious league place to play for. There are the two (at least) nights a week given up to training, a training regime harder than any of the guests would ever remember. Still the game as played at Stacks Field is played for fun and in the Corinthian spirit. The setbacks so far this season have not been trouncings by any stretch of the imagination, although the opener at today’s opposition’s ground was something approaching one and the communal pre-match optimism cannot have been high however much charismatic coach Hamish Pratt endeavoured to be in the changing rooms prior to the match.

Equally Sandal’s coach, the hugely experienced and respected Jim Kilfoyle, would have been trying to pick his men up having suffered two unexpected defeats in recent weeks.

The Ilkley team was once again changed around. The absent Duncan Sayers allowed Gavin Petterd a well-deserved start. Reiner Botha returned to the second row as young Richard Rhodes rejoined the England RFU academy. Andrew Rhodes donned the number 15 jersey with Simon Smith and Tom Hebditch on the wings. The silky running skills of Stuart Vincent came in to centre. Whatever team they had available this was going to be a difficult tie and, being the lowest seeds in the competition, with prospects of progressing much further than the next round almost nil, the incentive just was not there.

The first couple of minutes demonstrated that fact admirably, as Sandal’s flying winger Simon Frewin was put away down the left with a man over to score wide out and establish a 5 – 0 lead.

This setback seemed to galvanise the Dalesmen. They actually began to play with belief, a belief amply justified with the quality of all eight forwards on show. To a man they contributed to some good controlled rugby albeit aided and abetted by Sandals’ inability to turn on the fast flowing game seen at Milnthorpe Green in September. They got themselves back into the game with a well taken penalty after fifteen minutes from the reliable boot of Peter Shanks.

Then, up to the stroke of half time they really looked as though they could get ahead. Stuart Brewer used his strength and power to punch holes. Dan Wright and Reiner Botha both using their bulk to do the hard work deep down and dirty. Sandal, of course, too looked dangerous and went close a couple of times when they did get their back line operating, but here again Ilkley defended well. Just as it looked as though they would get to the interval without conceding ground and turn round with the elements a mere two points behind a superb defensive tackle from Brewer produced an Ilkley scrum. It was cleared. Sandal had the lineout and whipped the ball smartly down the line. The first wave was well stopped but efficiently recycled to put flyer Frewin in again and most important to give the visitors a 12 – 3 half time lead.

Although the Dalesmen pulled three points back with another well hit Shanks penalty goal to give the crowd some renewed heart, the recovery didn’t last long. Full back McCormack bagged another try to move the lead on to 17 – 6. Shanks again lifted spirits with a penalty goal. Still 20 minutes left – penalty goal and a try was all that was required.

James Gray, Fred Matthews, young Josh Cockerham and Terence Sibanda were called off the bench to try and instil some new energy, but the game was up. Sandal managed to find a bit of the magic that had deserted them early on. Despite losing Burgess to a yellow card they ran in three more tries two of which were handed to them by unforced errors and one which was a really unstoppable from a piece of superb play. Other Sandal scorers were McCormack, Johnston, Purcell.

Now, as Sir Alex would say, we can concentrate on the league. This week sees another drive up the A1, this time to pointless Durham City. The Dalesmen hope to keep it that way! Kick off is at 3 p.m.

Also at Stacks Field the second fifteen fought out a titanic struggle with Sheffield Tigers, going down 21 points to 15 in a Yorkshire second XV premier league fixture. They entertain Harrogate at Stacks Field this Saturday

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