Experienced personnel miss Ilkley's clash with bottom club (From Ilkley Gazette)

Experienced personnel miss Ilkley's clash with bottom club

11:59am Thursday 4th October 2012 in Sport By Alan Birkinshaw, Weeklies Sports Editor

Ilkley will be without a number of their most experienced players as they bid to extend their winning run to five games at Knottingley on Saturday.

Skipper Stuart Vincent, who missed the 20-18 win at Scarborough with a hamstring injury, is again expected to be absent along with the unavailable trio of Ollie Renton, Nathan Bland and Mike Cachia who are all working.

With flanker Chris Chapman nursing an eye injury sustained at Scarborough, Ilkley are fast running out of back row options for their clash with Yorkshire One’s bottom team.

It is possible that coach Rhys Morgan may even play the fit again Tongan Tuli Makaafi at blindside flanker.

Morgan said: “Tuli played there when he went back home to Tonga and it could be that we give him a go.”

One of the big decisions will be choosing who will replace Cachia at stand off.

Craig Barker started the season in the No 10 shirt and could move from centre, while the experienced Phil Howell is another option.

Morgan added: “It is a fact of life in an amateur club that players will often be missing due to work or family commitments.

“It is something we have to adapt to, but I am concerned about losing continuity.

“As a team we are on a good run, although there are elements of our game that are not functioning properly.

“It was the scrum against Heath while it was the goal kicking at Scarborough.

“It seems every team we play has a different style and presents a different challenge. At the moment we are adapting well enough to get the results.

“Obviously I am delighted to be hird in the league, but I know that we have a lot of work still to do.”

l Match report – page 48