Ilkley 42, Northallerton 0

Ilkley emerged from their mini ice age with a great treat to warm up their followers at Stacks Field on Saturday. This was the first home league game since Malton and Norton's visit to Ilkley on December 21.

Six tries, three conversions and two penalties proved a hammer blow to fellow strugglers Northallerton and a real shot in the arm for Ilkey's relegation avoidance effort.

They leapfrogged their opponents into third from bottom with games in hand over all the teams within reach.

Ilkley warmed up on the back pitch on a perfect winter's afternoon but even before the match suffered a setback when recent signing and centre strike force Simon Smith tweaked a hamstring.

Luckily referee Mr Eddie Wenninger from Doncaster had not completed the card filing so allowed Phil Merkin to take Smith's place and Ben MacDonald to come onto the bench.

This, temporarily at least, seemed to disjoint the side and Northallerton began looking the stronger side.

Their stalwart No 8 Robinson was making his considerable presence felt particularly by his opposite number Nick Brook who was dumped unceremoniously twice before the pair took matters into their own hands and indulged in a Tysonesque bout whilst play moved to the other side of the field.

In these early nervy stages Northallerton had a penalty effort come off the post and, to be honest, it was as near as they got to a score for the rest of the game.

Their two best try scoring opportunities came one in each half. The first was a well-worked backs move across the field out to the left where winger Tucker must have thought he was in.

However, Sean Gilbert produced yet another great saving tackle to bring him down just short.

Then, in the second-half whilst Andy Pell was off the field having been yellow carded, Northallerton got a rumble going down the left. Somehow the ball was scrambled away, Gus Rodgers doing the honours with a touch finder.

The rest of the game was very much Ilkley's. Defensive hero Sean Gilbert went in for the first try after six minutes. Phil Merkin had put his marker down with a thumping tackle on his opposite number right on the 22. A well-won ruck following Phil Moffatt and Dan Nulty's upfield move was whipped out to Anthony Cadman and Gus Rodgers, then to Gilbert who had the power and strength to go over in the corner. Cadman's kick was good.

The return of Charlie Cudworth was to play a big part in the Dalesmen's victory.

He was everywhere a back row should be and first to most breakdowns.

He and scrum half Tim Barley provided a great platform for Ilkley's backs and the ball reached both wings on numerous occasions.

Dan Nulty is an elusive runner and given some space can outpace most of his opposition. It was centre Phil Merkin who set up the scoring opportunity for Nulty, charging down a clearance kick from Elliott.

Nulty pounced and was off, past two defenders, to run round under the posts for Cadman to put away an easy kick.

A 14-0 lead was new territory for Ilkley this season. Cadman had two penalty kicks at goal, one was just wide after Robinson had resorted to foul play on Brook from the kick-off.

The other, after Nick Bell had cut inside only for the green and yellows to go over and kill the ball, was good.

Yet another penalty attempt was wide as Northallerton continued to offend the very competent referee.

Gilbert, with growing confidence, took a throw to himself and powered off across the field to make fully 40 metres but it was Cudworth's presence that was making the difference and allowed Ilkley to take a 17 point cushion into half-time.

Cadman extended the lead by another three points after the hard working Rodgers had been illegally stopped on ten metres. One more score and the Dalesmen were four scores ahead. Composure is called for at these moments.

In their desperate attempts to prevent another score Northallerton were causing IIkley and the referee some problems.

After an untidy scrum Andy Pell was moved to take matters into his own hands and was dismissed for ten minutes.

Whilst Ilkley held Northallerton at bay, just, it was a nervous ten minutes. The North Yorkshiremen failed to capitalise and the Ilkley crowd breathed again as Pell returned only to be replaced by Allan Moffatt two minutes later.

Another penalty, this time after Phil Moffatt had made good ground and Northallerton had conceded ten metres for talking back took the score to 23-0.

Now the losing feeling seemed to set in to the green and yellows. Three times they kicked off straight out, a sure sign that heads are down.

Nulty was clear again but inexplicably dropped the ball with only the line to beat.

As if to compensate for this unforced error he again broke free as Cadman put him through with a delicate little chip kick.

This time he made the line only to present the try to his centre Phil Merkin who gratefully touched down under the posts for 30-0.

Nulty was again put away down the left before setting up Rodgers and Cudworth to work the ball across field to Cadman, then Gilbert who floated a pass out to the lingering Allan Moffat who battered his way over to score.

From the kick-off the ball was taken well, whipped out to Gilbert who put the rampant Phil Moffatt away.

He beat three before setting Merkin up his for his second try and a final goal for Cadman.

This was a tremendous team performance. It is refreshing to write of five tries scored by the Ilkley backs, but both backs and forwards combined well to secure these valuable league points.

The final score was 42-0. It could have been more but whatever this a great confidence boost for the Ilkley side.

l Heath are this Saturday's visitors to Stacks Field. Another win is vital in the race for survival.