Ilkley 3 Durham City 14

It is becoming trite to say that this was a match that the Dalesmen could have won. However, it still has some resonance and, indeed, is not stretching the truth of it but losing has again become a habit, and a bad one at that.

Hark back four weeks and the elation of a famous victory against top-of-the-table Billingham was fresh in the memory but Carlisle, Darlington, Driffield and now Durham have washed that away.

Any faint hope of avoiding the drop has now effectively disappeared and Gateshead away (this week), Hartlepool Rovers (H), Old Crossleyans (H) and Sandal (A) will be Ilkley’s remaining fixtures in league North One East.

Making a difference to the fate of others is their one outstanding task, as well as, of course, for the players to have some good competition and enjoyment from the rest of the season. After all, playing rugby is their Saturday afternoon recreation.

Sandal and Billingham (both with 38 points) are battling it out for the league champion’s title. Their clash at Billingham this weekend should be a cracker. Gateshead look destined for the drop along with Ilkley. Five clubs above them with two points covering all five have to pick up points to avoid the one remaining drop slot. Hartlepool and Crossleyans have nothing but league points and position to play for.

A point made many times throughout this season is that these are great (some at one time amongst England’s best) clubs playing top quality rugby and Ilkley have, with one or two exceptions competed well enough. They simply haven’t had a deep enough squad.

From day one, they set off without at least four of the players that had won them promotion in 2008. As a consequence their mindset was deflated and, whilst they have tried their hardest, they have never had the gushing belief that went with them in that glorious season. Winning is a habit. Losing is one too.

All through these two difficult seasons the support and goodwill for the club has been unwavering. This was exemplified by the lunch hosts for this match Ian Swift and John Brayshaw, whose many guests contributed generously to the pre-match raffle and clearly want the club to prosper both on and off the field.

The match itself was a dull as the day. Heavy rain had spoiled a week of fine dry weather and the conditions contrived to make flowing open rugby an impossibility. Furthermore Ilkley were once again without talismanic Dan Wright as well as a number of other lock forwards and back rowers. Hooker Pete Healey was thrust into flanker duties.

Durham came to Stacks Field on the back of a splendid winning run which had propelled them from relegation candidates to sixth place in the league.

The way they started it seemed they would soon be clocking up the points. Ilkley were pegged back in their own half, most of the time inside their own 22, for fully 15 minutes. In this time they amassed the total of one solitary try. The rest of the time they either beat themselves by making mistakes or, as was more often the case, offending the experienced whistleblower Nigel Dickinson. In a rare excursion into Durham territory Peter Shanks had slotted a long range difficult penalty kick for the Dalesmen.

Gradually, as the half progressed, Ilkley got themselves back into contention. Sheer grit, determination and grunt from the whole team was giving the expectant crowd some hope.

Then the now seemingly inevitable happened. Just before half-time the Ilkley back row were caught off-side and Durham gratefully bagged the three points to edge themselves into an 8-3 half-time lead.

The script for the second-half was similar. First Ilkley lost a line-out in a good position to concede territory, then a penalty to give the visitors another shot at goal. It sailed over and Durham had an eight point cushion. A further 15 minutes elapsed before Durham had another penalty coughed up by an Ilkley defence trying to cover some rare free running. This made it 14 -3 with fully 20 minutes to go. There was still time to rescue this match. There was still a chance to up the game that vital per cent or two.

Try as they did the Dalesmen found the Durham defence just too tenacious and their own play not sufficiently adventurous or bold to get any recompense for their efforts.

The final score, 14-3, probably reflected the run of play, but had the scores been reversed no one in the crowd would have been surprised or felt cheated.

One of the lunch guests was William Whitaker whose firm Whitakers Chocolates generously sponsors the club. William is in training for a walk with cricketing legend Sir Ian Botham. Called the Forget-me-not Walk, in support of Leukemia and Lymphoma research.

Donations can be made by visiting www.original.justgiving.com/whitakerschocolates or calling 01756 791317. All donors of £10 or more will receive a box of Whitakers Calender Girl Chocolates. This charity has considerable resonance with Ilkley Rugby Club and members are asked to give William their support.

Meantime the second XV had an unrewarding trip to Yarnbury, but at least there was a game for the young Dalesmen. The Junior section continues to prosper with teams in the later rounds of various age group Yorkshire Cups. Despite the weather the Ladies XV battle on too. Things are gauged by the success or otherwise of the first XV but actually there are lots of success stories in the club too.