Ilkley 5 Billingham 17

A BRIGHT and aggressive start by the Dalesmen yielded nothing and that fact alone was a precursor to the gloomy possibility that the secret begin Ilkley’s hitherto powerful strike-force may have been discovered by their opposition.

All four tries in this somewhat humdrum game were scored by the backs and it was Ilkley’s misfortune that three of them were scored by the opposition. Not a day for the kickers either, as there was only one conversion and not a single penalty.

Having not succumbed to a yellow card in their performance at Kirkby Lonsdale last week, normal service was resumed when first Blake Morgan was dismissed for a rash late tackle, followed in the second half by player-coach Nathan Smith for a no-arms clear-out at a ruck.

This all made for some fairly dismal viewing for the numerous ex-players who had come to support their team, but the consensus was that the better side had won on the day.

No doubt really, despite some heroics from the ever-reliable J-H Johnson, whose efforts deserved better support.

Billingham also had a man dismissed when their lock Dom McAlorum took a man out off the ball, but by then, Ilkley were scrapping for a losing bonus point, rather than a win.

Ilkley’s line-out woes don’t seem to go away, and they lost some crucial ones, though those they did win led to some promising moves. Billingham on the other hand won every one of theirs.

Cub referee Jack LeFeuvre continues to impress with his faultless application of the laws, matched only by his total lack of empathy for it.

Both sides suffered and profited accordingly, in particular the lack of playing advantage.

Charles Morgan’s had missed with a penalty before Billingham made the most of their growing superiority when full back Elliot Husband finished off a well-worked move with a try.

Ilkley had simply run out of defenders and the touchdown was close enough to make the conversion a formality.

A moment of controversy spiced up proceedings when what looked very much like a spear-tackle by Billingham went unpunished, only for Blake Morgan to take the law into his own hands with the inevitable result – a yellow card!

Ben Magee went briefly to scrum-half before Ed Brown was sent on in place of Will Coates.

Two well-taken penalty kicks took Ilkley to the Billingham 5m line, but the throw was deemed crooked and the visitors cleared their lines, courtesy of the now traditional crooked feed at the scrum.

Having weathered the storm with 14 men, Ilkley just couldn’t get out of their own half for what seemed an age. With Henrik Ek on for Steve Burns, they soaked up the growing Billingham pressure, but when the home side strayed offside at a ruck, Peter Evans’ kick took his side to Ilkley’s 22.

A crisply won line-out and pin-point passing saw centre Joe Evans beat the covering defence to make it 12-0.

Eventually Ilkley shook off whatever malaise was restricting them when a well-taken penalty kick from Charles Morgan found touch 30m out. Aaron Magee went close, but from the ruck, the ball was spun out wide for centre Tom Milner to touch down.

Another penalty kick to within 10m of the Billingham line raised Ilkley’s hopes but then came Smith’s yellow and the advantage was gone.

Billingham’s kick failed to find touch, but a loose Ilkley pass was intercepted in their own 22 and winger Martin Hopley pounced to put the game out of Ilkley’s reach.

Despite the dismissal of Billingham’s McAlorum and the resultant penalty in Ilkley’s favour, the line-out was lost and any chance of a bonus point.