ILKESTON WERE ALREADY IN CONTROL OF THE MATCH BY HALF-TIME

REPORT WRITTEN BY ROB WILDMAN

Midlands One East

Ilkeston 31 Newark 17

Newark paid a heavy price for a disastrous start at Ilkeston in the first away league game of the season.

Ilkeston scored three tries in the first 17 minutes to build a lead which Newark were never able to overturn eventually losing by five tries to three.

A disappointing performance was made worse by injuries to halfbacks Matt Clark and James Offer.
Clark injured his thigh near half-time while offer was helped off following a heavy tackle in the first half.

The injuries forced a backline reshuffle which saw Matt Cove, the team’s new assistant coach, called off the bench to play the second half at scrum-half instead of Clark.

Ilkeston were already in control of the match by half-time having scored three times in the first 17 minutes. The first try came straight from the kick off when a Newark blunder handed an easy score.

The home side looked dangerous whenever they attacked in the opening half and scored two more to lead 17-0.

Newark found some rhythm towards the end of the first half and a try from prop Rob Dunning, following a series of close-in drives, lifted hopes just before the break.

Despite the injuries to Clark and Offer, Newark started the second half brightly, producing their best rugby of the match.

When Ben Usher finished off some good interplay down the right with fellow wing Nick Galinski, Newark were back in the game at 17-12, flanker Jon Webster having successfully stepped up to take on the kicking duties.

However, Newark’s hopes of another comeback – matching last week’s win over Huntingdon when they were 35-7 down at one stage – were dashed by the concession of another soft try after the visitors appeared to stop playing because of a supposed knock on.

Ilkeston made sure of victory by collecting a fifth try some 20 minutes in to the half.
Though Newark grabbed a third try through centre Matt Brewer, they never threatened in the closing stages for a fourth which would have brought a try bonus point from a disappointing afternoon.

Scores – 0-5 Ilkeston try, 0-10 Ilkeston try, 0-15 Ilkeston try, 0-17 Ilkeston con, 5-17 Dunning try, 10-17 Usher try, 12-17 Webster con, 12-22 Ilkeston try, 12-24 Ilkeston con, 12-29 Ilkeston try, 12-31 Ilkeston con, 17-31 Brewer try.

Team:
Tate; Galinski, Dixon, Brewer, Usher; Offer, Matt Clark (capt); Dunning, Chapple, Price, Williams, Downing, Webster, Neil Clark, Curry.

Subs: Matt Cove, Lewis Cove, Ford.

Tries: Dunning, Usher, Brewer.
Conversions: Webster.

Rob Wildman