NATIONAL THREE

Ilkley 31

Cleckheaton 17

THIS derby result left neither team satisfied – Cleckheaton because they only looked at their most potent in the final 20 minutes after the result had been decided, and Ilkley because they almost let their visitors in for two bonus points by taking their foot off the gas.

Cleckheaton's resources were limited by injuries and suspension and, although those that came in let no-one down, they paid the penalty for a slovenly beginning.

Experienced prop Grant Turton, one of those to gain promotion, said: "We have just been talking in the changing rooms about our slow starts.

about our slow starts in the changing rooms.

"Players are looking for someone else to make a tackle or break the line when they should be wanting to do it themselves.

"In the first half, we were very slow out of the blocks, and then ten minutes of embarrassing rugby in the second half cost us the game.

"About the only positives were the rugby that we played in the last 15 minutes and that players such as Carl Mason, Will Denham and myself didn't let anyone down having come into the team.

"The sin-binning of Richard Piper in the second half didn't help but we felt that Ilkley were beatable."

Ilkley's head of rugby Rhys Morgan said: "I have given the players a bit of a roasting about the last 20 minutes when we let Cleckheaton back into it after we had played well against Stockport and Sheffield.

"We stuck to our game-plan well in the first half but got into their red zone four or five times and made a mess of the line-out or dropped the ball, and that was disappointing.

"However, we were pleased that we won both periods when each side had a man in the sin-bin, and we did get five points."

The first half settled into a pattern of Ilkley pressing for points but failing to capitalise on opportunities, some of which were gifted to them by the visitors.

However, a wild pass in the 16th minute by former Ilkley player Ronan Evans, which sailed over Michael Piper's head, meant the fly half was hurried into a clearance with his wrong foot.

From the subsequent line-out, the hosts' catch and drive was potent, No 8 Iain McKenzie touching down for scrum half Joe Rowntree to convert.

Cleckheaton hadn't been in Ilkley's half but they made their first chance count in the 24th minute when No 8 Richard Piper went over in the corner after flanker Jack Seddon had snaffled possession following a line-out.

Rowntree then missed a penalty and, with McKenzie in the sin-bin for a neck grab, the visitors could make nothing of a pacy break through the middle by full back Evans, who had only joined Cleckheaton the week before.

Ilkley deserved more than a 10-5 interval lead but had to wait until a minute into stoppage time to add to their tally, left winger JH Johnson's inside pass putting centre Elliot Morgan in for a try and Rowntree converting.

Cleckheaton brought on all three of their replacements at half-time (Tom Austin, James Crowther and Carl Mason) and had a try on the left for centre Josh Hall ruled out for a double movement three minutes after the break.

Richard Piper was then sin-binned for tripping, and Ilkley cashed in.

Lock James Spencer was held up over the line in the 49th minute but there was no escape as, two minutes later, flanker Nick Carolan was driven over for a try, Rowntree converting before also adding the extras to Steve Nolson's try, the centre running a beautiful line onto fly half Josh Kimber's long pass in the 57th minute.

It was then that the match switched, with a hesitant Evans failing to back himself after intercepting a pass before tries followed for Richard Piper and scrum half Jack Bickerdike in the 70th and 73rd minutes, Michael Piper converting the second on what was a forgettable afternoon individually.

Cleckheaton even came close to two bonus points – one for losing by seven points or less and one for scoring four tries - which would have been unthinkable 25 minutes previously.