Photographs from Saturdays game Ilkley vs Durham City ( N2E ) have now been uploaded to www.ruggerpix.com Enter the site click on photographs and then 2008-2009 Games. Enter the album, to see all photos click ‘all’ above right hand thumbnails and wait for photo’s to load.

That elusive Dalesmens’ victory finally comes at Durham

Peter Shanks started the scoring with two well taken penalty goals to put the visitors in the lead 6 – 0 with a quarter gone. Durham got one back after an Ilkley non-tackling guard of honour had allowed Durham right in close. Just the three points from a penalty was probably a bonus. Durham’s hackles were up and the inevitable try came from their nippy scrum half after skipper Iain McKenzie had been yellow-carded. Ilkley hit right back with the best phases of play of the game for Charlie Cudworth to score a trademark try. Simon Smith added a sizzler almost from kick-off as he suddenly found acres of space in a 60 metre dash with his old try line instincts and powerful handoff seeing him home. The travelling Ilkley support (about a dozen) were in heaven. An 8 point (16 – 8) lead at half time.

This is the fifth time in six matches the Dalesmen have held a half time lead, so clearly their supporters were not yet convinced of their ability and tenacity to put in a full 80 minute performance.

Inevitably Durham hit back and, after the Ilkley first line of defence, had bought the Durham fly half’s dummy they were back to within a point at 16 – 15. Shanks edged the Dalesmen ahead again with a goal to make it 19 – 15. Then came the crucial score. A Durham scrum was turned. Ilkley rumbled through 4 great phases before setting that man Smith off on another bullocking run to score his second. The Ilkley penalty fest then started. Every play seemed as if they conceded one. Durham hit back after a line close in was successfully turned into a try by their star back rower. That left 15 minutes to play with the Dalesmen clinging to a mere 4 point lead.

If those fifteen minutes were described as the most unbearable fifteen minutes of rugby for any self-respecting Ilkley man to watch it would be no exaggeration.

Durham Society Referee Mr Havery was onto everything. The final 10 minutes saw 8 penalties awarded to Durham, 2 to Ilkley. To make matters worse Peter Shanks saw yellow for a Shanks family spear tackle.

The final penalty to Durham was the game breaker. They were pressing the Dalesmens’ line from one side to the other but that legendary Dalesmen defence stood up to a man. Nothing got through. With virtually the last shrill whistle of the game Durham had a penalty five metres out. Surely they would do it. But relief came in the form of the blunder of the day as their highly competent number 10 went for glory and in doing so lost control of and threw the ball meekly forward.

Ilkley cleared, the game was up. Two league points in the bag.

Durham, by contrast, remain pointless and anchored to the bottom. League rugby at this level is all about confidence. Ilkley had lots in there despite their poor start to the season. Durham clearly had little. A few key injuries and a key player departure had not helped matters, but essentially this was the squad that had finished runners-up in this league last season.

Durham City are a club with a great history and a club “with attitude”. Their honours board includes 15 full internationals and 6 British Lions and names like Mike Weston and Sam Hodgson still echo round the terraces. Mind you nothing much echoed round the terraces on Saturday. A difficult cross wind that favoured neither side but certainly punished the less well aimed kick swirled around the ground. It was remarkable how many times a misjudged kick was punished and used to put the Ilkley line under pressure that was quite unnecessary. Those terraces which must have at one time been packed to the ginnels had about the lowest crowd ever seen at an Ilkley league game. The were probably 30 people in total, including that dozen from god’s county.

This was a much improved performance particularly considering star number eight Stuart Brewer had succumbed to a nasty knee injury in training. Johnny Shanks came in to flanker and McKenzie took over the 8 jersey. Smith and Shanks occupied the centre berths, with Terence Sibanda and Tom Hebditch on the wings. Stuart Vincent resumed at full-back.

Sometimes the seasoned supporter can smell victory in the air and this was one of those days.

The first half was justifiably Ilkley’s as they once again used the forwards to build momentum and position. This Ilkley eight is an awesome unit. Strong up at the coal face. They were never really troubled and did disrupt two or three Durham scrums. The luxury of Fred Matthews, Jon Hutchinson, Gavin Petterd and John Cooksey meant that Duncan Sayers took a week to recuperate in the seconds. Reiner Botha and the superb Dan Wright have been rocks in attack and defence and are both as good as any seen in the league so far. The back row of Charlie Cudworth, Iain McKenzie and Johnny Shanks make up for their lack of stature with a dynamism and ability to fight for and win the 60/40 ball on the ground. Cudworth’s experience and ability to beat a player in running is legendary. It is, however, around this area that many of the penalties come from and this will surely be a matter for coach Hamish Pratt (how the furrows on his brow lifted last Saturday evening!)

Jimi Lee and Phil Howell are building up a better rapport now they have a few games under their belt. Jimi came to Stacks Field from Yarnbury in the search for a higher standard of rugby. The first 6 matches must have come as a shock to system. Equally Howell stepped up the valley from Otley and the challenge to get first XV rugby at an altogether higher level. Both would readily admit there are elements of their game that need some work, but the effort is building firm structures. Peter Shanks’ metronomic kicking boot continues to provide those vital points. Simon Smith is an able and experienced player. His confidence clearly rose on Saturday and the Stacks Field faithful look forward to seeing more of those penetrating defence busting runs of old. Terence Sibanda is a cartload of tries waiting to happen and young Tom Hebditch, another to make the short journey from Cross Green is full of potential. Stuart Vincent is a player of class and silky running skills. He just hasn’t had those little breaks that he got in last season’s campaign.

Now with points on the board and a place higher in the league table anything can happen. This week Morpeth travel the long journey down the A1 to Stacks Field for a league game which kicks off at the earlier time of 2.15 p.m. Ahead of the game there will be a lunch attended by some of Ilkley’s finest and most loyal supporters. The club is grateful for their support in these hardest of hard times.

It is gratifying to all that the astute management of the club means that, unlike others, there is no debt and the campaign to re-develop the site can continue despite the economic conditions. An update on the development project will be given soon.

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