Keighley 30

Ilkley 7

The nursery rhyme about when he was good he was very very good and when he was bad... springs to mind. Following the master class against Pontefract the week before the Dalesmen were greeted by a fierce numbingly cold northerly blowing across the exposed Utley ground. The rugby and the weather couldn't have been in greater contrast.

Ilkley were in confident mood and elected to play against the elements in the first-half, clearly hoping to hold the home side and open up in the second-half. But they hadn't reckoned with a Keighley side fired up to avoid two defeats in the season by their old rivals, and with arch Ilkley tormentor John Harrison in his best form.

The opening salvos dictated the tone of the game, at least from the Dalesmen's point of view. Ball was spilled or passed poorly from behind the scrum and it seemed impossible to get any sort of movement going. They held on for fifteen minutes before a penalty was awarded close in. The green and reds opted for a five metre scrum and executed a perfect inside pass move to allow centre Curr to score. Harrison's reliable boot defied the wind and established a 7 -0 lead.

Now the old flame returned to Keighley whilst Ilkley continued to disappoint to the large band of supporters who had made the trip across Cringles. They had done well to limit further scoring to a penalty goal by Harrison on 30 minutes.

Five minutes later Keighley attacked down the left. Two penalties were conceded and twice Keighley opted for the scrum. The second was turned through 90, the next, an Ilkley put-in was also turned and Keighley came away with a free- kick. From this they set up mighty man prop Sinfield who burst through the normally rock-solid Dalesmen defence to score.

Harrison converted and that limitation exercise was looking a bad decision. It looked even worse as Harrison added another penalty goal after Ilkley were forced to hold on in the tackle and then Scott Amos added another try after Dan Nulty's kick into space was well fielded and returned down the Keighley backs with three Ilkley chasers apparently running out of steam to allow a splendid move to culminate in the scrum half's try. That man Harrison made a great touchline kick to take his side 27 0 in front into half- time.

Whilst it appeared to be an unassailable lead the Ilkley followers had a modicum of optimism that their side, being second-half specialists could score the four tries required with the wind in their favour.

They never really got any rhythm going in the second-half although they did press the Keighley line for long periods their attacking forays were frustrated by poor passing and equally poor catching, or lack of it. A Harrison penalty goal compounded the agony after Sean Gilbert found himself in trouble defending a high kick (yes, from Harrison) on his line. His knock-on was fielded by an llkley player. That was 30-7.

Coach Richard Midgley rang the changes bringing Ollie Coughlan off and sending Phil Moffatt on with Tim Barley moving to scrum half. Earlier Stuart Nesbit had replaced Martin Hemingway.

Good Ilkley pressure followed, and despite their best efforts not to score, Barley finally managed to batter through for a try to narrow the gap to 23 points.

Now the Dalesmen began to play a bit. At last Nulty got some clear water and ran round two Keighley defenders with his familiar impunity. He was over the line for a score but a crafty tackle knocked the ball loose and referee Mr Masheder who had been spot on all afternoon adjudged a knock on.

That was about it. They threatened again but never really looked like bothering the scoreboard operator who had by this time taken to the refuge of the clubhouse anyway. The wind had been knocked out of their sails and blown a top four position out of their grasp. Keighley, whose display will have been a boost to those Utley devotees, edge a point ahead of the Dalesmen.

Yorkshire rugby has a weekend off as Leeds Tykes, Morley and Sheffield Tigers, Ilkley's next opponents in the Yorkshire Shield, all go on their Twickenham adventure.

Huddersfield YMCA are the next and last league opponents on Saturday, April 23, kick-off 3 pm.

Bradford and Bingley B 0

Ilkley A 46

Ilkley strolled into round two of the Aire-Wharfe Cup and an away tie at Aireborough on a foul evening at Wagon Lane. First-half tries form Ross Knight, Chris Weatherby (2), John Hinchliffe and Phil Moffatt put the tie out of sight for Bees.

Stuart Nesbit, Leighton Parsons and John Hinchliffe added second-half touchdowns and ended a miserable night for the Bees.

Ilkley 27

Pontefract 17

Glorious spring sunshine provided a wonderful setting for this crucial league clash at Stacks Field. The course of the match was ably assisted by Mr Clayton's astute refereeing. He too made some errors but they were evenly distributed. Most of the time he was well on top of the game. Ilkley went in at half time 10-3 down. That score line hardly represented the way the game had gone. Ilkley returned to Ponte territory and rarely left it. Try as they might they could not get that vital score. That final pass went to ground, that important ball was knocked on, that unfortunate penalty was conceded at the wrong moment, but the Dalesmen must have had seventy per cent of possession.

Then came an exchange of penalties. Brendan Kelley coolly stroked over one punishing an offside to make it 7-3.

Tony Greig flicked a clever pass for Nulty to collect and go over for a try which Kelley improved it to tie the scores at 10-10.

Charlie Cudworth found Sean Gilbert on his shoulders. With a quick look he saw the half gap and ghosted through it. Nulty was right there with him to take an inch perfect pass to go in from 40 metres for his second try. to forge ahead at 15-10. Nulty then made 70 metres to the line and Kelley was successful with this kick for 22-10. Simon Smith then put the Dalesmen safe at 27-10 with five minutes to go.

Ilkley held on without further real threat for a fine win.