Ilkley 65-10 Baildon

 

AFTER receiving a bye in the first round, Ilkley 2nd XV were keen to get their Aire Wharfe cup campaign underway and welcomed Baildon 2nd XV to Stacks Field on a damp Wednesday evening after some heavy rain earlier in the week.

A sizeable crowd for a midweek game had gathered inside the comfort of the bar and with Baildon travelling support bolstering the numbers on the terraces, both teams were eager to entertain.

Ilkley had prepared well in the week for the wet conditions and started off with some solid phase play and strong running from the forward pack. This was rewarded in the opening minutes with the first of Ilkley’s 10 trys awarded to Jack Liebster.

Baildon responded with their own typical strong running style and made good ground to Ilkley’s 22 where they were awarded a penalty after multiple Ilkley infringments. 7-3 after 15 minutes.

The latter stages of the first half were dominated by ill discipline from both sides but ilkley closed out the half strong with trys for Jack Brown, Louis Rosefall, and Joe Hawdon. Ilkley 26-3 Baildon at halftime.

Ilkley knew playing to the width and remaining disciplined would be key to unlocking success in the second half. That they did, with Jack Wolstencrofts forward pack setting the pace and the half-back pair of Ed Browne and Harry Smith orchestrating play and allowing Joe Hawdon to punch holes and create width for some entertaining scores out wide.

Further tries for Downes, Marlow, Brown and Browne led ilkley to a 58-3 lead before senior debutant and ilkley youth graduate Rory Gazeley pounced on a loose ball and ran in unopposed for his first senior try to finish off ilkley's scoring.

Baildon persisted with some good running yards to score in the corner in the final play of the game.