Heath Clinch Double Despite Ilkley’s Spirited Display

With Ilkley pretty much at full strength and coming off the back of a comfortable win away at Driffield, there was considerably more optimism in the air amongst the Ilkley faithful, compared with the visit to Heath in November. Back then, with half a dozen or more players missing, the Dalesmen were on the end of a 45-10 pummelling, so on a lovely Spring day, there was something to prove, not least as the visitors had just lost their only match of the season to date, away to Alnwick.

In the event though, it was Heath who came away with the spoils, with a haul of six tries, their game directed superbly by the ageless Chris Johnson at ten. Ilkley played well, superbly well at times and earned yet another try bonus point, though going down by 43 points to 27.

Pete Erskine celebrated his 100th match for the Club and for Blake Morgan, it was his last appearance at Stack’s Field, before his enforced retirement on medical grounds at the end of this campaign. 

Images courtesy of Peter and Cecile Clark at Ruggerpix. View the full album here.

A lively first ten minutes produced no score, but then a huge Johnson penalty kick took his side to the Ilkley 5m line and from the line-out, Alex McFadden powered his way over for the day’s first try, Johnson’s conversion attempt missing.

Ilkley were straight back into it and five minutes later, a Charles Morgan penalty earned a line-out, some ten meters from the Heath goal-line. McFadden saw yellow for preventing a score and Ilkley took full advantage, Ollie Ham being awarded the try. Morgan’s kick was good and Ilkley had taken the lead with a quarter of an hour gone.

This was not to last long - three minutes in fact, when a Johnson kick over Ilkley’s defensive line bounced kindly for winger Jake Haynes to collect and score under the posts. Johnson kicked the goal and Heath were back in the lead.

A Morgan penalty made it 10-12 and Ilkley breathed a sigh of relief when Heath blew a chance for a third try, the final pass going straight into touch. Back they came though and when Ilkley were penalised for a high tackle, that man Johnson rifled his kick to the opposition 5m line. A clean catch led to a scrum, from which flanker Harvey Keighley-Payne peeled off to score. The kick was good and it was 10-19.

Ilkley broke out of their own 22 following the kick-off, but a chip ahead was fielded by the visitors and some slick interplay led to the bonus point fourth try just before half-time, scored by lock, Pete Hampshire, duly converted by Johnson.

Down 26-10, despite having played some good rugby, Ilkley started the second half well and were rewarded with a try from winger Freddie Brown, converted by Morgan  - 17-26

But the arrears were again increased to 16 points, as from a line-out, McFadden claimed his second try of the day and Johnson kicked his fourth conversion. 

Ilkley hit back quickly, when Ben Magee’s quick penalty enabled Freddie Clark to go over in the corner, but the conversion drifted wide - 22-33.

The quality of play from both sides was first class, but when Heath won yet another line, deep in Ilkley’s 22, the ball was fed to full-back Dan Cole to score, Johnson notching the extras. At 22-40 down, Ilkley looked to be dead and buried, despite their sterling efforts.

With 15 minutes to go though, Ilkley flanker Tom Reavey crashed over in the corner. Morgan’s kick hit the post and bounced out, but at 27-40 with plenty of time left, Ilkley were looking marginally the better side and definitely in with a chance of at least one more score, especially as Heath’s Chris Moore saw yellow with 8 minutes to go.

Disappointingly, Ilkley lost their own line-out, handing the initiative back to Heath. A transgression on the half-way line led to a penalty to Heath, which was clinically dispatched by Johnson, simultaneously running the clock down and stymying any further ideas of a losing bonus point.

And so this masterpiece of a match came to an end, the visitors completing their double over the Dalesmen and now needing just 3 points to clinch the Championship, a feat that is certainly within easy reach. Ilkley can draw comfort from the fact that they tied the second half, 17 apiece and played some great rugby against a really good side.

They will certainly need to continue this form next week, as they make the long trip north to Alnwick, who are lying second. The home match was a disappointment for Ilkley, going down 15-21 in early December, but with fourth place nailed on, there is nothing to lose and Alnwick will be anxious to keep that one place above Harrogate, to guarantee a home fixture in the play-offs, should they occur.

A repeat of this performance would certainly ruffle some feathers up in Northumberland.