Northallerton 10

Ilkley 7

Ilkley's season ended with their sixth league defeat in a row. Their opponents Northallerton leapfrogged over them in the table. Ilkley are now equal on points with North Leeds rivals Leodensians who still have one game to play.

If the Leos win that one they too will overtake Ilkley leaving them fifth from bottom.

The vagaries of the rugby union league system is such that if all the relegated clubs in higher leagues cascade towards North/North East and Yorkshire it is just feasible that five could go down from Yorkshire Two. Unlikely but possible.

Every match in this toughest of tough leagues is vital. Ilkley must surely count the heavy cost of home defeats by teams who are still below them.

Was it over confidence or lack of concentration? There can be no faulting commitment or training. Attendances for training have been good. The team is generally fit enough. The players are, in the main good enough.

This was proven by early season results that had the Ilkley faithful thinking that promotion was on the cards. They must now be thankful for those points accumulated early on.

At least they have always given one hundred per cent, even though their mental concentration has cost them dear. They have never been totally outclassed and on occasions have looked capable of at least one division higher, if not two.

So what's happened?

Difficult to say except that the belief seemed to disappear after the loss to West Leeds. Northallerton welcomed Ilkley with a full strength side, a tricky cross wind blowing across their sloping pitch and a league record of only one home defeat and one away win! They were keen to avenge their 41-13 defeat at Stacks Field early on. The game was dominated by the Northallerton back row and stand-off. The back row wrapped up virtually all Ilkley's ruck and maul ball using tactics that some referees would have penalised. But credit to them for playing on the margin.

Their stand off was rarely put under sufficient pressure to force mistakes. The Northallerton tackling was superb throughout and generally they made better use of the wind and the slope. Having said that Ilkley enjoyed 65 per cent territorial advantage and missed two eminently kickable penalties.

How they missed the artistry of Anthony Cadman at stand-off. Nick Bell was a worthy and industrious deputy but he is a centre by trade. Still he attracted enough attention from the Northallerton pack to be on the receiving end of high tackles and a wildly swung boot. The Northallerton hooker was dismissed for that offence. His misdemeanour allowed Ilkley back into the game.

For the record Northallerton scored two unconverted tries. The first came from a loose kick which fell perfectly for fly-half Hamilton to pick up and stride through two or three weak attempts to tackle him to score out wide on the right.

The second came whilst Ben McDonald was taking ten minutes compulsory rest for over enthusiastically urging the referee to take action over a second high tackle on Bell. Flanker Clark picked up off the back of a ruck after Ilkley had lost a throw in. He was missed at least twice by soft tackle attempts.

Half-time came with Ilkley not troubling the scoreboard, and ten points down. During the half they had a good supply of scoring chances. Phil Merkin, Nick Bell and Brendan Kelly came close. The forwards got their act together too infrequently but did threaten a few times.

The second-half had Ilkley playing up hill and against the cross wind. This was an altogether better half for the Dalesmen. They tackled better, moved the ball better and after the hooker was dismissed took substantial ball against the head. This despite still not controlling the scrums, a season long problem. Today the bigger men came on top. Not for want of effort by Ilkley's front five, just shear weight and size made the difference.

Just when it seemed the score would elude them Pring darted through to score. The kick was successful and Ilkley had five minutes to rescue their day. However it was not to be and the referee brought the curtain down on these last miserable weeks. It was also the end of Ben McDonald's reign as captain. He has done an excellent job in bonding the side together after last season's dreadful start.