Ilkley 6 Cleckheaton 12

ILKLEY made a disappointing start to the new year as they slipped to defeat at Stacks Field on Saturday.

The visitors had clearly learned from the previous meeting between the sides and the tactics of their wily coach Scott Benton enabled them to avenge their early-season National League Three North loss.

He had realised that the key to success was keeping the ball away from Ilkley’s backs and his team executed the plan successfully.

The Dalesmen’s starting line-up included lock Kieran Dannatt, back from long-term injury, while new signings Charles Morgan and Harry Adams were both on the bench.

Ilkley started promisingly enough. They won a penalty, drove towards the line from the line-out but knocked on when almost over.

Another penalty after a high kick from Ben Magee was advanced ten metres for back chat and saw skipper Joe Rowntree slot over the goal for an early 3-0 lead.

Cleckheaton made a telling response. They disrupted the Ilkley scrum and earned two penalties which were kicked to touch. Having established an attacking platform, they moved the ball wide with wrecking-ball centre Matt Piper creating a hole in the defence, which left winger Jeff Hall ran through to score a try. The conversion flopped onto the bar and dropped over.

Josh Cockerham replaced the injured Chris Blackhall up front as Ilkley came back strongly. They put together some great phases but were frustrated by unforced errors. Rowntree uncharacteristically missed a penalty from within his normal range.

The Dalesmen’s best chance came when centre Lewis Johnston flew through a gap onto Rowntree’s well-timed pass and made fully 50 metres.

With the line in sight, he was felled by a superb cover tackle.

The ball was set up for the support but was illegally picked up by a Cleck defender. Rowntree converted to reduce the deficit to a single point.

Some flaky defending and a mounting error count forced the Dalesmen onto the back foot and they spent much of the remaining ten minutes of the half expending valuable energy on defence.

Coach Rhys Morgan sent on his son Charles and Adams for their debuts in a bid to stir his side into life.

After a promising start, Ilkley found themselves on the back foot as the Cleckheaton pack, inspired by the bearded Richard Piper, launched a series of drives from line-outs as the home side conceded penalties which the visitors kicked to touch.

That stubborn Ilkley defence held firm, with Magee and Elliott Morgan putting in some superb tackles just when the line looked to have been breached.

Ilkley did occasionally break out of defence but never really threatened the Cleck line. When they did get close, the unforced errors crept in.

Cleck kept the pressure up and their own error count down. The pressure told with five minutes to go when the visitors won a scrum and forced the ball carrier over the line for the decisive try.

Ilkley launched a late bid to save the game but a courageous move from their own half broke down with a knock on close to the line. It somehow summed up the game – a day when the Pipers called the tune for Cleckheaton.