REVENGE will be very much in the minds of the Ilkley squad at Billingham on Saturday.

The North East side triumphed 34-29 at Stacks Field in National Three North earlier this season – a result that still rankles with the Dalesmen.

They felt that they should have won a game which was effectively decided when Billingham scored 17 points while Ilkley winger JH Johnson spent ten minutes in the sin bin.

Ilkley’s head of rugby, Rhys Morgan, said: “It was an extremely disappointing afternoon for us. Their big pack had a big influence on the game and they punished us when we were reduced to 14 men.

“That defeat led to us reviewing our strategy for dealing with sin binnings. We certainly learned a lesson that day and we have addressed the problem.”

Another issue that Morgan is trying to improve is his team’s finish. They are currently the lowest scorers in the division with 259 points from 14 matches.

Ilkley have only earned the four-try bonus point three times – a marked contrast to last season – and Morgan is hoping his side’s output will improve in the remaining eight games of the season.

“Our finishing and decision making just haven’t been good enough,” said Morgan. “We have shelled a number of good scoring opportunities. While the defences we are coming up against are better organised, a lot of the chances we have squandered have been due to a poor pass or taking the wrong option.

“We have been working hard on two on one and three on two situations in training and now we want to translate the hard work into points.

“The players are working really hard and I am delighted with the numbers we are getting at training. Continuity in training means we can have continuity in selection and that, in turn, should improve performances and results.”

Front row forward Josh Cockerham is available to return to a side that will again be led by Nick Carolan in the absence of broken-hand victim Josh Kimber. Ed Brown will again fill the key stand off position after impressing in the recent win at Burnage.

After having their home game with Hull called off for a frozen pitch last Saturday, Ilkley are keen to get back in action and a victory would push them into a respectable mid-table position.