Cleckheaton 19 Ilkley 51

Roll up! Roll up! The circus that the Yorkshire Cup has become is back in town. This fine old competition staggers on from season to season with the various eligible clubs falling into one of three categories keen, indifferent or disdainful.

It has now been relegated to being a side-show and of the eight ties scheduled for Saturday, only three were played. There were two walkovers and three byes, the whole competition taking on a rather derelict appearance.

Ilkley and their hosts Cleckheaton clearly belong in the keen category, producing a match that coughed up some astonishing tries, nine in all, with the honours deservedly going to Rhys Morgan’s side which included debutants Ben Fairclough and Max McKay.

Cleck took to the field resembling the cherry-whites of Gloucester of old, the comparison unfortunately ending there. Ilkley on the other hand turned out in that unfortunate grey strip, the designer of which should be considering a career-change.

After the disappointment against Rossendale and the evisceration at Sandal, Ilkley had something to prove and they did, tearing into the opposition with a ferocity that Cleckheaton at first had no answer to.

Dominant in the set scrum, the penalties just kept on coming for Ilkley, Ben Magee slotting three in 15 minutes, the full back taking over the kicking duties of the concussed Charles Morgan.

After 20 minutes, Cleckheaton made their first foray into the Ilkley 22, courtesy of a Mike Swetman kick to touch after Steve Burns was penalised for holding on. The home side started to play their preferred ten-man game, but Ilkley’s defence held out.

Blake Morgan’s magnificent break almost yielded a score, but the scrum-half was hauled down a metre out. All Ilkley needed was support and it came in the form of new boy Fairclough who scored the first try. Magee’s goal made it 16-0.

With the bit between their teeth, the Ilkley backs fancied running from anywhere and did just that when a Cleckheaton attack broke down.

Chris Gemmell picked up a loose ball and made good ground before offloading to Magee, who in turn fed Luke Freer. The winger skinned his opposite man and touched down under the posts. Magee converted to make it 23-0.

Ilkley’s third try was a real team effort, Magee eventually feeding Pat Power. With Fairclough again showing great anticipation, the centre was on hand to take the scoring pass leaving Magee with another simple conversion.

At 30-0 down, Cleck pulled themselves together in the last ten minutes of the half and their persistence paid off as the Ilkley defence finally ran out of men on the right wing, allowing Liam Darville a stroll-in from the overlap. Swetman’s well-taken kick made the score 30-7 at half-time.

Cleck continued their good work for the first ten minutes of the second half, battering away at the Ilkley defence, which held firm. Inevitably under such pressure, penalties started to be conceded and the next few minutes were frustrating to players and spectators alike.

Stand-off Swetman had possibly targeted Ilkley’s left-wing as being a weak area and duly kicked towards it three or four times. This tactic was binned when Freer held on to such a kick, made metres and fed Magee, whose trademark 50metre run ended under the posts.

Another attempted break-out in their own half ended badly for Ilkley when a pass didn’t go to hand and the hack through allowed Cleckheaton’s Mikey Hayward to score, the conversion missing.

Coach Morgan won’t have been happy with the penalty count against his side – comfortably two to one against – but he must surely have enjoyed Ilkley’s next try, as Magee broke out of defence and delivered a magical chip into the path of ex-Cleckheaton player Josh Hall. All the winger had to do was to collect the bouncing ball and sprint over, leaving Magee with a difficult kick to add to the score, but over it went.

The Dalesmen’s final score came from a lovely break by Elliot Morgan, with Gemmell and Chuckie Ramsay in support. Sevens rugby brought another try under the posts and it was 51-12.

The last word went to Cleckheaton. A line-out resulting from yet another penalty was won and skipper Matt Piper ran in an easy try.

Swetman’s kick concluded the afternoon’s scoring and Ilkley went off with their best score of the season and the prospect of a tie against Doncaster Phoenix at Stacks Field on November 18.