Ilkley Lose To York

Thanks to the never-ending bone-headed decisions taken by the RFU and the tin-eared Yorkshire RFU, Ilkley’s season was due to finish today at around 4.30. Instead, the Dalesmen decided to pack it all in thirty  minutes earlier, squandering a commanding lead, to fold and lose by 48 points to 43.

What a shame for retiring players Blake Morgan and Tom Dickinson, who could and should have had a far more memorable last game for the club they have served so well. Both played the full 80 minutes as a prequel to their many years of quiet Saturdays, but whoever wrote the script today got it completely wrong.

A strong wind blew throughout the match and there can be no doubt that this particular element influenced  how the game was played in each half. Ilkley enjoyed it for the first half and Charles Morgan took full advantage with some great kicking for territorial gain.

Despite York keeping themselves in the reckoning in the first half, two sparkling tries by Harry Harrison, two by the pack mauling their way over to allow Blake and Max Jones to touch down and a great solo effort from Freddie Brown, together with four conversions by Charles Morgan, meant the Dalesmen had amassed 33 points by half-time, to York’s 14, both scored and converted by their far from innocent full-back, George Davies, who was York’s man of the match on his 250th appearance.

Ilkley added to their tally early in the second half, courtesy of a neatly finished move by hooker Matt Tanner, after a great team effort, meaning they were now ahead by 24 points and apparently cruising.

Cruising however means taking your foot off the gas and that is exactly what Ilkley did, the remaining half hour being all York’s, save for an interception try by Brown when York lost possession deep in the Ilkley 22. That brought the score to 26.43, the hosts having hoovered up 12 points in the meantime.

For the sizeable Ilkley support, the rest of the match was the stuff of nightmares, as the Dalesmen just couldn’t cope with York’s appetite to win the match.

A shambolic last 15 minutes cost Ilkley the game, as a toxic combination of below par tackling, lack of direction and ragged discipline saw them concede a further 19 unanswered points to lose the lead at 45.43 before Davies added insult to injury by slotting a last kick of the game penalty to really rub it in.

In the event, as Middlesbrough dispatched Harrogate, York’s deserved win was not enough to give them home advantage in the forthcoming ( and unnecessary ) relegation play-offs. The Dalesmen’s season on the other hand is now over and whilst finishing fourth is their best position ever in NE1, today unfortunately was somewhat deflating for the Ilkley rugby family.

On a happier note, the Club was able to put three sides out and both the second and third teams recorded victories against York and Ripon respectively.

See you next season with a whole new set of opponents, probably including old rivals North Ribblesdale, Pocklington and Scarborough.