Cleckheaton 18 Ilkley 26

CLECKHEATON coach Scott Benton underlined the importance of individuals contributing to the whole after this National League Three North derby defeat.

The former England scrum half said: "We started well and for the first 20 minutes made them look average but then we didn't execute. I hope we don't miss as many one-on-one tackles in another match this season.

"Also our kicking – both out of hand and at goal – was disappointing, as was our discipline.

"It shows the importance of every one of the players doing their jobs as if one or two are off then you can be in trouble.

"But we have come a long way since I was first asked to be involved at the start of last season.

"We are a lot fitter and we have a back line for the first time in years. We also have players to come back soon like Lee Queeley, Ross Hayden and Jack Bickerdike, which will increase the competition for places."

Cleckheaton dropped to eighth in the table, while Ilkley – who now have three league wins from four – climbed to fifth.

Ilkley coach Rhys Morgan was pleased with the result but not the performance, saying: "We only played for 30 minutes."

The visitors' failure to find touch into the wind cost them dear as flanker Tom Austin scored a seventh-minute try, backing up a break by prop Paul Turner.

Cleckheaton full back James Wilson made it 10-0 with a second try in the 17th minute after good work on the right by Josh Hall.

Visiting skipper Joe Rowntree kept them in touch with penalties in the 23rd and 38th minute, while former Ilkley fly half Ronan Evans made up to a degree for his conversion misses with a 33rd-minute penalty to leave the half-time score at 13-6 to the hosts.

Cleckheaton had Austin sin-binned for interference in the 37th minute and, while he was off the field, Ilkley scored with their first attack of the second half.

Matt Piper kicked the ball straight down full back Ben Magee's throat in the first minute and the Ilkley No 15 proceeded to run from just inside his ten-metre line all the way to the home posts for a splendid individual try which Rowntree converted for 13-13.

Then 20 minutes later, Cleckheaton clearly hadn't brushed up on their tackling as man of the match Magee burst through again to set up former Bradford & Bingley and Old Grovians winger Dion Hendricks for a try on his debut, although the final pass could well have been forward.

Rowntree's conversion made it 20-13 to the visitors and a poor third quarter for Cleckheaton melded into the fourth as Wilson (mystifyingly) and flanker Jack Seddon (taking Pat Power out in the air) were sin-binned in the 65th and 66th minutes.

Rowntree kicked a penalty after Wilson's offence and he also landed a fourth penalty to go with his two conversions in the second minute of stoppage time.

Cleckheaton lock Ryan Piercy got their man of the match award but it could easily have gone to Turner or Matt Piper, who never stopped trying and set up their final try six minutes later for left winger Mikey Hayward.

Evans needed to kick the conversion to give Cleckheaton a losing bonus point but rather spooned his effort and it fell short and wide.