Pre-season friendly: Ilkley 17 Blackburn 5

BLACKBURN, who haven't played Ilkley in a league fixture since 1987, came to Stacks Field for a pre-season contest that was played over four quarters on what was a rare day of summery Saturday weather.

With both sides having large squads, it came as no surprise that each quarter produced different levels of performance.

Both teams deserved great credit for enabling every player who turned up to play a full game, or part of one, but it certainly made identification difficult!

Eventually, after a lot of huffing and puffing, Ilkley outscored the visitors by three tries to one, with new skipper Joe Rowntree's kick being the only successful conversion.

Ilkley's first try came from a slick backs move that eventually led to new boy Luke Freer scoring in the corner.

The second came from another good move, when another brace of newcomers, Chris Gemmell and Lewis Johnston, combined to send the latter over to give the Dalesmen a 10-0 lead.

Ilkley's lead was halved in the third quarter when Blackburn's nippy right winger scored an impressive solo effort from his own half.

Those spectators expecting a try-fest were doomed to disappointment, however, as the last quarter coughed up just the one, when Ben Magee's sterling efforts were finally rewarded after great work from stalwarts Nick Carolan and Jon Hutchinson, Rowntree adding the only conversion.

Stacks Field looked resplendent, as befitting a ground that hosted Yorkshire Carnegie v Bath that evening, and the new season should hold no fears for the Dalesmen, who seem to have recruited well.

On Saturday, Ilkley are at Bridgnorth for another pre-season friendly, followed by a Yorkshire Cup game at Doncaster Phoenix on Saturday, August 27 before the National League Three North season starts in earnest with a home game against Billingham the following weekend.