In the away leg of this fixture Grimsby were comprehensively beaten by a well drilled Ilkeston side, and after a reshuffled side some trepidation was felt before the return match. However Grimsby more than contributed to an enthralling encounter, and managed to pip the visitors at the last for the league points.
Ilkeston started the better of the 2 sides, although Grimsby had the first opportunity to record points when a penalty was awarded for an Ilkeston infringement in their 22. Unfortunately the kick went wide and Ilkeston showed their dangerous backs off, when after a quick pass form the back of a scrum the ball was passed to right winger, and league top scorer Draper. The pacy chap then flew up the wing, leaving all in his wake and touched down for the easy conversion attempt under the posts, which Kendal duly slotted.
Grimsby started to put Ilkeston under pressure, especially in the loose, and the game gradually moved into the visitor's territory. Good work in the lineout by both Barker and Newman ensured Grimsby retained their own ball, as well as made life difficult for the Ilkeston jumpers. Ilkeston resorted to nefarious means on a few occasions, but with both Grimsby 's iron discipline and an eagle eyed ref the visitors found themselves penalised on more than one occasion. Lowery was nearly able to break the line, but a last ditch tackle stopped him from skipping through. However, as the Ilkeston forwards illegally slowed the ball down, a penalty was awarded which Pharaoh took quickly. Backing himself, the sneaky little 9 crept around the disorientated defence to score under the sticks. West added the extras and both sides were level pegging.
Shortly after this, Ilkeston were reduced to 14 men for a while, as their fly half was given a yellow for a despicable and cowardly knee drop on a Grimsby player after the whistle had blown. Grimsby used their numerical advantage to work their way upfield, still recycling well, until quick ball saw West receive the ball just yards out. Newman did an excellent impersonation of a shield to allow the youngster to blast through and touch down under the posts and then to convert his own try.
Ilkeston soon struck back after a long ball forced Grimsby to kick to touch, and after a nice take in the middle of the line, a tidy rolling maul was started. Grimsby were unable to stop it, and as the mass of bodies collapsed over the line, tight head Charlton was awarded the touchdown, despite the protestations of the home players who felt it had been held up. The try stood, but the conversion flew wide. Grimsby went into half time 14-12 up, and knowing that the game was winnable realised they had to up their game.
Ilkeston soon regained the lead, as 5 minutes into the 2 nd half, a missed tackle allowed the Ilkeston centre broke through, drew the covering defence and fed Draper. With time and space in his favour, he sped away to score under the posts. Kendal added the bonus points and Grimsby now had to really increase their workrate.
The game was very evenly match as a contest, with both sides neither giving or asking for quarter. Clash after clash occurred, with the referee having to speak to both captains to try and get their charges to calm down not bloody likely!!!!
This hard rate of attrition led to several changes being made, with Slosmanis and Thornton being replaced by Montague and Holt in the forwards and old stager Clayton coming on to replace Kempthorne Jnr in the backs. A slight reshuffle saw Daly move to 10, an enforced move which saw the entire aspect of the game change. Grimsby started to move the ball better and faster and suddenly Ilkeston were seriously on the back foot. As Grimsby forced them back deeper and deeper in their half, Ilkeston resorted to the dirty tricks campaign to try and rattle Grimsby . At a lineout Barker was taken out in mid air, a very dangerous act which went unpunished by the referee- but not by Kempthorne Snr. A cracking punch, which Lennox Lewis would have been proud of soon sorted out the Ilkeston player, but Kempthorne was shown a yellow card, for as deserved as it was, it wasn't very clandestine!
This respite allowed Ilkeston to clear their lines for a short spell, but good work most notably by Pharaoh, Newman and West ensured they stayed pinned back in their own territory. It was from a heroic tackle that Pharaoh suffered a nasty blow to the head. Despite the application of some ice from the freezer, it soon became raised and swollen. Fortunately to the relief of all, he soon became playable once more.
The game now moved into injury time, and Ilkeston tried everything to kill the ball and end the contest. However, the match official kept spotting infringements by the visiting side and penalty after penalty was quickly tapped and taken as the Blues sought out the Ilkeston line. After about 4 minutes of intense pressure and 7 penalties, just as the crowd were screaming for a penalty try, the ball span wide to West, who dived through the despairing tacklers to touch down for the points and level the match. Unfortunately West was injured in the tackle and Grimsby had lost their kicker for the conversion! Up stepped the massive figure of Daly, and after a seconds introspection, the ball went sailing through the air to cleanly bisect the uprights. Grimsby had won, and as the ref blew for fulltime the players and large crowd alike went mad. Unfortunately West had taken a bang to the noggin, and after having scored the match securing try was left with no memory of the occasion due to concussion.
This week Grimsby travel to Notts Moderns, the only league side to defeat the Blues on home soil in 2 seasons.