IT was day for drama, as a whole host of Heath supporters gathered at Stacks Field on Saturday hoping that Driffield would put one over on Harrogate and that their side could clinch a five-point victory and with it the league championship.

Well, Heath did the business, but unfortunately for the visitors Driffield didn’t. Harrogate notched a convincing victory and were crowned champions despite having to move their home fixture to Driffield due to the waterlogged pitch at Rudding Lane.

With Luke Gareth Gamble and Eddie Brown signifying their retirement following this match and Rob Sigsworth celebrating his 50th start for the Dalesmen, there was added emotion ahead of this important season ending fixture. All three were greeted warmly by both sets of supporters.

Referee Mr Matthew Higgins got proceedings underway and immediately the freshening breeze played its part as the Ilkley kick off went straight into touch.

The scrum on half way was won and the home side's pack were pushed back at rate of knots, coughing up a penalty.

This first sign of the size advantage was ominous.

Heath couldn’t make the resulting lineout pay and Ilkley won a jackaller’s penalty.

Taken quickly the ball was shipped to Charles Morgan and a superb looping pass found Will Marlow on the wing. He went round one, stepped inside another, handed off two more and found clear water to the posts for, what must take the vote for, try of the season. 7-0.

Morgan then had a penalty attempt, but it held up on the stiffening breeze and fell agonisingly short. The Dalesmen held the lead for 17 minutes.

Heath got their heavy armour going as Ilkley’s discipline deserted them. A try for prop Oliver Cook from a penalty and lineout close in, quickly followed by another from prop Joshua Crickmay after Ilkley were turned over as they tried to keep ball in hand inside their 22. 12-7 to the visitors.

The Dalesmen’s enterprise was frustrated as a nice exit set up an overlap but Heath’s sharp shooter Callum Harriett-Brown swooped and left the defenders flat-footed to score under the posts. 19-7 on the half hour to the away side.

It got worse for the shell-shocked Dalesmen as Heath added a superbly crafted try from half way, this one from scrum half Dominic Walsh. Then to add insult to injury they crafted an even better one from their own 22 via most of the team, replacement Peter Hampshire the scorer.

Orchestrator and conductor Johnson slotted an easy penalty to leave Ilkley trailing 36-7 to bring the half to a close.

In the second half Adam Booth was battering his usual course down the middle, aided and abetted by his colleagues Jamie Slator, Tom Dickinson and Sigsworth and gradually the Dalesmen began to grow into the match.

A 50/22 from Morgan almost produced a try. Heath began to cough up penalties and did so on half way incurring a yellow card in the process. Then Mr Higgins reversed the penalty as a wayward boot accidentally caught a Heath player’s face and Ilkley's biggest man Alex Powell saw red. Unfortunate, but that’s the law.

Jordan Cummins was sacrificed to let Gamble back into the pack, leaving the Dalesmen to play 25 minutes with 14 men.

Archie Elgood replaced Brown.

From the penalty Heath won the lineout and, after a couple of good phases, winger Joe Morrison forced his way over to extend the lead to 41-7.

The white flag doesn’t get waved by these Dalesmen though, and they were quickly back in Heath’s 22 only to be turned over. Back at halfway Elliot Morgan made it into the Heath 22 and popped a little pass to Max Jones, a bundle of energy throughout.

Jones battered his way for several metres and, with the added power of three or four mates, went over to score. 41-14 now to the visitors.

Heath’s Harriott-Brown then got ten minutes in the naughty chair to even up the numbers.

Magee kicked delicately into the Heath 22 and, with a straightforward clearance kick, the fullback was charged down by the excellent Colclough who collected the loose ball and made haste towards the goal line, managing at the same time to demonstrate his juggling skills before diving over. 41-21 now to Heath.

Harriott-Brown returned to action and benefitted from some great running and smooth passing from his backs to score Heath’s final try out wide to make it 48-21.

Marlow then scrambled the ball to Magee who beat several defenders to shimmy his way over and under the posts to make it a final score of 48-28 to the away side.

This was Ilkley's second 20 point defeat to Heath having lost 32-12 in the season’s opener.

Ilkley had a try bonus point. Heath had five points but, in reality, only the disappointment of the news from Driffield.

The curtain has come down on the 2023/24 season which, for the Dalesmen has had its highs and it’s lows. Regrettably, particularly of late, rather more lows than highs. Victories at Pontefract featuring a near perfect first half display, at Alnwick and at Harrogate on their midden, and at home against Blaydon were my picks. Narrow defeats to York, Sandal (twice), Alnwick and Scunthorpe were particularly galling. The leadership group and the coaching team will have some hard thinking between now and July when it all gets going again.

Percy Park from the North East and old friends Selby are the sides promoted to North One East. Huddersfield (with new coach the ex-captain of Rugby League outfit Huddersfield Giants, Danny Brough) and either Billingham or, most likely, Hull Ionians coming down from National two.

Harrogate go back to National league two and early season pacesetters Doncaster Phoenix and Pontefract prove just how fickle league rugby is as they depart downwards.

Ilkley's 2nd XV finished on a high note as they defeated Heath’s 2nd XV 49-28. 

Ilkley's Centurions came away from Roundhegians with a hard fought 20-14 victory against the hosts’ 2nd XV.