RHYS Morgan isn't calling Ilkley's 29-20 victory at fifth-placed Sheffield last Saturday's their best performance of the season.

However, the Dalesmen's head of rugby did concede that it was their most complete display so far in National League Three North in 2015-16.

The win lifted the Stacks Field club a remarkable five places up the table to sixth ahead of this weekend's home derby against Cleckheaton, and was another triumph borne out of adversity.

Morgan explained: "We had to play Ryan Cooper out of position at full back and bring in Paul Petchey (after six weeks out), and we lost Gus Ramsey (shoulder injury) early on, but Ryan was our man of the match – both for his performance and for playing out of position.

"It was a game that ebbed and flowed. We butchered a few opportunities and so did they but the key message so far this season is not to panic, and we didn't when we went behind.

"We are going to have situations this season when we go down to 14 men, and we even went down to 13 men against Billingham, but I don't want us to think 'we are going to lose' or 'what are we going to do now?'

"For those ten or 20 minutes, I don't want us to lose on the scoreboard. I want us to win by displaying absolute concentration."

Morgan added: "We have now won four of our seven matches, and it should have been five out of seven had we beaten Billingham as we should have done.

"It would be great to make it six wins out of eight by defeating Cleckheaton on what could be a crucial weekend where the top half are facing the bottom half.

"But Cleckheaton are a tough side with a big pack, and it will be good to hook up again with (former England scrum half) Scott Benton, who is on their coaching staff, and their winger Sam Walker, who was at Keighley and Huddersfield."