Match Report Saturday 10th December 2005.

Belgrave 15v32 Ilkeston

For the second week running the Elks encountered a side with limited ambition and a game plan, while effective for periods, which could not cope with the adventure and pace of their visitors.

Belgrave offered muscle and energy but little else and as the game wore on the effectiveness of their forwards wained and the deficiencies of their backs were cruelly exposed. For this, major plus marks must go to the various units within the Elks side.

The front row of Charlton, Moore, and Jason Falls refused to give ground to the heavier Belgrave unit for whom Towl and Wright stood out. Garland and Stoker took their ball in the line out with Stoker also prominent in the loose. Montague dealt well with, the sometimes difficult, ball at the base of the scrum and proved an effective ball carrier at crucial periods of the game. Darby at blind side produced crunching tackles and was constantly at the shoulder of the ball carrier to give momentum and provide continuity.

A fascinating battle took place at open side with two youngsters sharing the same name. Belgrave's Holmes was constant energy, posing a threat all afternoon. The Elks Damon Holmes put pressure on the opposition, won vital ball at the breakdown and provided a link in open play. The Elks Holmes must be deemed to have shaded the battle as the Belgrave players lack of discipline cost him 10 minutes in the sin bin as the excellent Mr. Colley of the North Midlands Referee's Society decided that he transgressed on one too many occasions.

The Elks backs unit were even more effective. The half back pairing of Townsley and Rudkin ran the show. If Townsley's swift passing and darting breaks kept the opposition defence guessing, Rudkin's ability to bring his outside backs into the game with an array of breaks, switches and miss passes created total confusion in the home sides midfield defence.

The centre pairing of Faulkner and Evans simply had too much power,pace, and guile for their opposition numbers and thrived on Rudkin's ability to create space on the gain line. Wingers Stevenson and McCardle dealt well with their defensive duties and sought the outside to good effect when ball carrying.

Jonno Falls performance at full back deservedly earned him the man of the match award. He never put a foot wrong, fielding high balls, clearing his lines, and setting up breathtaking counter attacks one of which earned him a try. Falls also kicked his goals.

While Belgrave enjoyed the edge up front they never looked like scoring many points. The Elks, conversely, kept the scoreboard ticking over with 2 penalties, 4 tries, and 3 conversions Giving Jonno Falls a personal tally of 17 points.

The first score came after 10 minutes when Falls kicked his first penalty from 20 meters following a fine bit of scavenging by Holmes at the Belgrave line out. Falls increased the lead to 6 points on 20 minutes with a second penalty. Faulkner made a devastating break from deep inside his own half. Support from Darby fed the ball to Stevenson who was hauled down just short. Belgrave's Clarkes killed the ball and that earned him a yellow card and the Elks a penalty.

Ilkeston's first try was the try of the day. Charlton fielded the restart kick and passed to Rudkin. His pass fed Evans whose perfectly angled run from deep inside his own 22 powered through tackles and raced the length of the field to score a try under the posts. Falls converted.

Belgrave recorded their first score with a penalty through Hickey. A line out peel by the impressive Wright set up a ruck near the Elks posts. Failure by the Elks to roll away gave Hickey his points.

As half-time approached a Garland line out take was moved to Rudkin. His break was supported by Townsley to feed the rampaging Darby who charged over from 20 meters taking three defenders over the line with him. Falls conversion making it 3-20. Into injury time the Elks increased the lead to 3-27. Falls fielded the ball under his own posts and side stepped his way to half way. Stoker was on hand to combine with Stevenson and carry play deep into Belgraves half earning a penalty. A kick at goal was spurned and the ball put into the corner for a line out. Stoker rose to take the ball and sent it out to midfield. Rudkin's miss pass found Jonno Falls and his long striding speed skating action took him clear of the cover defence. He converted his own try leaving it 3-32 at half time.

Belgrave started the second half in a much more aggressive fashion. A period of pressure earned them a try from Bamber after good work by Talbot and Bailey. They added a second try 2 minutes later through Kyle putting them very much back into the game at 15-27.

Belgrave were enjoying their best period and their job was made easier when no: 8 Montague was binned for preventing release. To their credit however the Elks upped their efforts to compensate for the loss of Mantague. Good work from Townsley, Moore, and Jason Falls earned a line out inside Belgrave's 22. Clinical thinking by McCardle, who fielded his own quick line out, enabled Rudkin to put Stevenson clear. His try in the corner proved to be the last score and gave the Elks a winning margin of 15-32.

The introduction of Pringle for Charlton and Widdowson for Moore gave fresh legs to the Elks pack for the remaining 15 minutes. Belgrave searched for a consolation try but the Elks had refound their rhythm and denied them a score. Jonno Falls crowned his display with a try saving tackle on the stroke of full time.

In conclusion this was a solid display against a Belgrave who are notoriously difficult to beat on their own patch and keeps the Elks very much on track for promotion.

Classic Brewery Man of the Match - Jonno Falls.

Lincoln are the visitors to the Stute next week - kick off 2.15 p.m.

Match Report Saturday 19th February 2005

Belgrave 15v25 Ilkeston

This victory against a very abrasive Belgrave side keeps the Elks promotion hopes very much alive. They still lie third, only one point behind Matlock who still have to visit the Stute on April 9th. The top three have opened a comfortable gap on the chasing pack so the Elks aspirations to the title or a play off place are one step closer to becoming reality.

The Elks went into this game without Faulkner, who may miss most of the remainder of the season, and Flemming who was confined to the bench nursing a groin strain. The short trip to Belgrave on the outskirts of Leicester presented no travel fatigue and the Elks had the better of the opening exchanges. Rudkin, Taylor and Draper all caused problems for the home defence with their powerful running as did flankers Prescott and Wiltshire whose willingness to chase and tackle denied Belgrave time and space.

The first opportunity to put points on the board fell to the Elks but Kendal hit the upright from 35 meters. The chance had been created by a crunching Falls tackle and quick thinking from Charlton and Quinn. With 15 minutes gone Belgrave had not made a single visit into the Elks half and were merely responding to probes and charges from Draper, Singleton, Taylor and Naylor, all who came close.

The game came alive on the 17th minute when very much against the run of play Belgraves Davey scored a superb try. The home side got the put in to a scrum 5 meters from their own line. No: 8 Cramer picked up and linked with Davey. These two interpassed with Kyle and Dutton in a move covering the length of the park and ended with Davey scoring under the posts. Helnsey's conversion made it 7-0.

Belgrave could have added to their lead 5 minutes later when Dutton breached the Elks midfield but was denied by a Singleton cover tackle. This score prompted the Elks into action and fine work from Chapman, Charlton, Quinn, and Garland secured them a line out on the half way line. Garlands take was driven midfield by the forwards and when the ball was released Chapman put Draper into space. His 50 meter sprint saw him crash through tackles and outpace the defence to score between the posts. Kendal's conversion levelled the scores.

The Elks came close to taking the lead on two occasions in the next 10 minute period. First, fine linking and interpassing between Rudkin, Hallam, Kendal, and Taylor almost created space for Singleton. The second was a Taylor break supported by Naylor and Quinn but came to nothing as a pass was adjudged forward.

With the line out functioning well and the scrum, with front row Naylor, Falls, and Charlton giving nothing to a much heavier outfit it was not long before the ready supply of quality ball was put to good use by the backs. Ball won by Garland at the line out was recycled through numerous phases putting the Belgrave defence on the back foot. A clever switch of direction between Hallam and Rudkin allowed Hallam to feed Singleton. His jinking run enabled him to dive over in the corner giving the Elks the lead for the first time at 7-12.

From the restart the Elks inability to kick clear of their 22 allowed Belgrave to establish a platform from which they earned a penalty. Hensley made no mistake from 30 meters to reduce the gap to just two points. As the half drew close, Singleton scored his second try by a superb individual effort. Belgrave's Dutton failed to find touch and Singleton fielded the ball deep inside his own half. His sheer pace and nimble feet took him passed defender after defender, finally selling a dummy, that would cost a fortune on eBay, and scoring in the corner. Belgrave supporters were generous in their applause and stated it was the best try they had seen on their ground for a number of seasons. The missed conversion brought up the half time score at 10-17. Whilst the first half had been a free flowing entertaining affair the second half would only reach such heights on two occasions.

The bigger, heavier Belgrave forwards imposed themselves on the game and denied the Elks quality ball with which to set their pacier backs loose. The use of the driving maul allowed Belgraves scrum half Kyle to put strong running forwards Bailey, Cramer and Davey into space and only a determined defence denied a score. The pressure did result in a conceded penalties and Belgraves Hensley should have closed the gap with 2 kickable efforts.

A rare excursion into the opposition territory allowed the Elks to increase their lead through a Kendal penalty after good work by Murray, Hallam and Garland.

From the restart, confusion on a defencive line out allowed Belgrave to steal the ball. Prop Bailey drove on and provided a scoring pass for Davey's second try. At 15-20 the Elks were subject to a nervous last 20 minutes.

To their credit the Elks responded to the challenge and decided that the best form of defence was attack. They attempted to spread the ball won and ask questions of the Belgrave defence when it would have been easier to sit back and simply defend their lead. Their efforts were nearly rewarded with interpassing between Rudkin, Taylor and Hallam created space for Draper. His strong run was stopped just short of the Belgrave line.

Their reward did however materialise on the 2nd minute of injury time. A Murray pick up from a scrum 30 meters out was quickly used by Chapman. Rudkin fed his centres and a beautifully executed loop between Taylor and Hallam allowed Taylor to dash through a gap in the defence to score and make the final score 15-25.

Belgrave is never an easy venue and the experience and power of their forwards is renound throughout the league. The lighter and younger Elks forwards showed that they can stick to their task for 80 minutes and are not going to be dominated while the backs demonstrated why they are such a feared strike force and why Draper and Taylor are first and third in the top try scorers in the league.

Next Saturday February 26th the Elks entertain Mellish in a league game. Kick off 2-.15 p.m. All supporters new and old are welcome.