The truth of the matter is that not only did the Ilkley five win the game but they also did the majority of the scoring.

York made the journey to Ilkley on the back of a decent run of form boasting 6 wins in their last 7 games. But it wasn’t complacency that was their undoing in front of the new and very impressive clubhouse at the Denton Road club.
They knew what they were likely to face and they got exactly what it said on the tin. Grease up the surface and the ball by throwing in the customary Ilkley rain shower after the warm up but before the kick-off and the scene was set for the impressive Ilkley front row to lay down the platform for a comfortable victory and a day that the York side will soon want to forget.
Within 5 minutes of the kick off the pattern for the whole game was established with the Ilkley 10 kicking for position, the well organised chase cutting down any attempted counter attack and the Ilkley forwards dominating the breakdown and contact area forcing the turn over. This saw York concede one of only few penalties on the day but the inevitable kick for the corner. The catch and powerful drive by the well organised Ilkley pack causing chaos in the York defensive line drawing defenders in, creating the space on the blindside for the scrum half Cooper to snipe for the first score. 5 – 0 Conversion missed.
The York pack had some possession and parity in the set piece in the early stages of the game. As possibly the two biggest front rows in the league went head to head, but this soon dissipated when the Ilkley loose head prop was allowed by his opponents and the referee to slip his bind and bore in on his opposite number. This put the York scrum under pressure and on the back foot. This he repeated unchallenged for the whole game (why wouldn’t you if you’re getting away with it?).So the ball that York did secure from the scrum was often scrappy and going backwards. (It was evident that York missed an exponent of the dark arts themselves to counter those of the Ilkley pack).
The greasy ball saw York preferred expansive game end in, dropped and inaccurate passes, they also failed to look after the ball in the contact area. When they did get the ball through hands they constantly cut back inside only to be gobbled up by the Ilkley pack (like the considerable number of pies I have no doubt they have eaten).
It was a further York error and only the second penalty they conceded that led to another kick to the corner and guess what another well-orchestrated catch and drive resulting in the second Ilkley try this time the No8 Ian McKenzie the beneficiary. 10 – 0 conversion missed.
York then had their best period of the first half and made a number of half breaks but interestingly out wide. Joe Maud the York No8 made a fifty yard break but he failed to find his support runners in time before the scrambling Ilkley defence managed to get back in place and killing the ball at the next phase. Ilkley were cynical in this area and would not hesitate to stray offside, come in at the side or lay on the wrong side to slow down the York ball. Before half time they would concede 5 penalties in and around their own 22 which should have attracted a yellow card from the referee (who apparently had forgotten to bring it). York went close with a goal line attack themselves only to be penalised less than a meter from the Ilkley line much to the bewilderment of the York side and many of those who were watching. The normally reliable John Dawes boot missed a very kickable penalty before the interval and York lost Sam Arkle with a groin strain just before half time.
The second half was much the same fayre as the first half. Ilkley rarely moved the ball outside their stand-off but when they did from a set move from an attacking scrum just inside the York half they produced a quality back move that saw the blindside wing run an exquisite line off the inside shoulder of the outside centre then link with their full back Vincent who was running an equally good line to score untouched under the York posts. 17 – 0.
After the one glimpse of their expansive game they reverted to type, on 60 minutes York conceded another catch and drive try to the Ilkley forwards this time 3 of the Ilkley pack claiming they had hands on the ball as they went over. 22-0
York rallied and had arguably their best period of the game but were constantly frustrated by the cynical aspect of the Ilkley defending that went unpunished by the referee. A period that saw two deliberate knock downs as York had generated quick ball and space with the Ilkley defence out of position were penalised but should have resulted in yellow cards. Dawes narrowly missed a long range effort from a penalty kick, before York managed to press the Ilkley line after a good period of ball retention, stretching the Ilkley defence by attacking down both wide channels before Darren Rutherford crashed over from all of 1 metre out. Dawes converted 22 – 7. The game became a bit of a stalemate with York attempting to play the rugby and Ilkley happy to defend, kick and chase. With the last play of the game Ilkley kicked deep into the York 22. York inexplicably cut their line to 5 men 5 yards from their line. The throw was inaccurate; a surprised Ilkley prop lurking at the tail caught the ball and flopped over. 29 – 7. This summed up York’s day, as I mentioned earlier, soon to be forgotten.