Driffield having lost part of their front row on Friday night to their 3rd string arrived with 15 players but no competitive front row so uncontested scrums were to be played. Both sides despite the lack off scrimmaging played the game at a lively pace and Malton were relieved to have plenty of subs in the hot conditions in what proved to be a very close game. With the six nations on their final day there was an Italian feel at scrum half with Malton having Bergamarcus ,the man with a pass to match his namesake and Driffield having a Paul Griffen look-alike with his Noddy Holder style sideburns.

Malt started with most of their young guns with Mikey Casey enjoying a full game at Hooker with some superb lineout throwing with Martin Watson at prop putting in a big game performance with some excellent tackles on Driff’s man mountain known as peanut. Malt tried to run the ball early on but similar to Driffield the ball was spilled which with uncontested scrums is bonkers. Malt welcomed back Adam Magee at fly half who showed all his old touched of last season always keen to exploit the gap in a defence. Tom Martin and Scott Kneeshaw at centres were on hand with Martin taking over the 10 jersey at half time with Magee leaving the field through no fault of Bergamarcus.Tom Riddolls at full back was kept busy and always looks to take on 2 players for pace when a safe kick is on but this elusiveness is a great weapon and he was a real thorn in Driffield’s side all afternoon.

Malt had a great spell in Driff’s 22 and took an easy penalty to go 3-0 up. As befits a Driff team they hit back and bombarded Malt’s try line but their defence stood tall with superb tackling from Tristan Bean, George Nutt and Charlie Richardson in the back row and Number 8.Half time arrived with Malton clinging on to a slender 3-0 lead. Malt made changes with Steve Heselwood taking over from Jake Wright on the wing, Tony Watson taking over from Jake’s brother Adam at prop, Rob Hicks and John Ordidge coming into the second row for Eddie Everson and Harry Wilson. Chris Wilson and Dimitry Pubik came on to the back row with Simon Massey moving into the centre and it was game on. 

Malt needed to up the ante and Wilson urged on his troops. The pack responded with some clean rucked ball once Bergamarcus switched play from open to blind it was Riddolls who scored in the corner and Malt led 8-0.

Driff then took play to Malton and from a line out their stand off ran straight and like a hot knife through butter he split the Malt defence to score under the posts and it was 8-7.Peanut then had a big run but luckily for Malton he was felled under the post which stopped his run. Malt came back and from a scrum 5 which came following some gritty forward power Number 8 was allowed to pick up and getting low surged under the Driff tacklers. Martin converted and Malt were 15-7 up.Driff then kicked a penalty to close the gap to 5 points and as the clock ticked on Malt had a final surge which saw Simon Massey score a great try and Malt had breathing space with 6 minutes to go Driffield put in a big effort to close the gap but time ran out. 

The only disappointment after the game was the mysterious disappearance of both match balls. If this continues the thirds may end up playing with the super smooth Kukri training balls which no body wants, least of all their scrum half, who needs every assistance he can get.

Both sides fielded considerably weakened sides for this friendly meeting of the near neighbours.  The net result was an open game of rugby played in a fine spirit with the final result hanging in the balance right until the final whistle.

Malton drew first blood in the third minute, having been penned back in their own 22 metre area for most of that time.  A stray Driffield pass was intercepted by Malton full back Ian Cooke who raced to the other end before being hauled down.  At the resultant ruck a Driffield forward was slow in getting back onside and conceded a penalty which Cooke stroked home.  The hosts were soon level when Malt were penalised for a similar offence and the kick was moved on 10 metres for Malton indiscipline.  The followed a brilliant solo try.  Maltons pack were decimating the Driff set piece and a clean pick up from the base by No.8 forward Simon Badgery, on half way, saw him charge forward showing both strength and delicate footwork to make his way to the line and touch down for a well deserved score.  The game continued to see saw from end to end with last ditch tackles frequently saving both sides.  On the half hour Malton extended the lead when a high tackle was punished and Cooke again took the points to make the score 3 – 11 to Malt.  It was now Driffields turn to show their paces and with half time looming they scored two tries, firstly when they won a line out close to the Malton line and from the maul sent the ball into mid field to score under the posts to leave them trailing by one point.  A minute later and they had gained the lead.  The bulky No.8 forward was allowed to make inroads through some weak Malton tackling before the ball was again spun wide for a score in the corner to give Driff a 15 – 11 interval lead.

With barely three minutes played of the second half Malt. again conceded when they were penalised for offside.  Then followed the most popular score of the afternoon for Malton.   Centre Nathan Reid received from fly half Bill McCrone and made a searing break before passing on to replacement No.8 Dan Coates who made further ground before passing on to veteran second row Tim Casey who showed that advancing years do not necessarily diminish speed and athleticism as he stretched for the line to touch down.   Driff again struck back with two tries to open up a 12 point margin.  Slack tackling again allowed the No.8 to make headway and score which was swiftly by a second when a suspiciously forward pass was allowed to continue for a score in the corner.  Still not finished Malton struck back.  A quickly taken penalty by scrum half Jon Newsome was swept across the pitch for wing Elliot Richardson to score in the corner.  With one score separating the sides Malt were right back in the frame until a stray hand in a ruck gave Driff the penalty they needed to give them some confort.  However, straight from the kick off Malton struck.  Guy Dolman regained possession for Malt. and sent fellow back row man Sam Triffitt on a run for the line to touch down in the corner.  Ian Cooke, with a magnificent kick from the touchline, added the conversion and it was game back on. 

The final ten minutes saw both sides use their larger than normal quota of substitutes which inevitably meant that some of the structure went from the game.  However, although the scoring ceased, the entertainment carried on until the final whistle.

A large number of fringe players were given a taste of rugby at a higher level and all will have benefitted from the experience.

I.Cooke, R.Davenport, N.Reid, D.Gardner, E.Richardson, W.McCrone, J.Newsome(J.Dempsey), S.Pease(M.Boothman), N. Salisbury(M.Martin), E.Gwilliam, T.Casey (D.Coates), S. Em,ms, S.Triffitt, G.Dolman(B.Dolman), S.Badgery(J.Machin)

On the day when 7 members of the Wilson family played with Kit making his debut the crowd were treated to a superb game of competitive running rugby and coincidentally 7 tries. 

As befits third team rugby the first battle is getting 15 players together and Malt’ know how hard this can be at times so full credit to Scarborough for coming with a full 15 and playing their full part in the lively encounter with their number 8 making a telling contribution. 

Winning the toss Malt’ elected to play into the elements and with many changes to last week’s team for the first half and fully prepared Malt’ took the ball to Scarborough and the dream start saw Chris Wilson pass to Nephew James Whincup to score in the corner, James’ father Chris narrowly missing the conversion. Chris the followed up a break but found his pace of yesteryear playing second fiddle to an expanding waist line. Malt continued the pressure with their pack on fire producing a dearth of clean scrum and rucked ball for Lyon who must have thought all his Christmases had come at once. The front row saw Martin Watson hooking alongside Tony Watson and Adam Wright .The second row was a family affair with Harry Wilson alongside his Uncle Mark adding their bulk to the cause. Kit Wilson had a blinder at Openside,with Scarborough’s scrum under pressure he was always on hand to help out scrum half Lyon once the ball was out and later on he was unlucky not to score.With centres Simon Massey and Arthur Wilson outstanding against their quality opposite numbers it was Scott Kneeshaw who profited to score in the corner. The end of the first half saw Malt’ under sustained pressure in their own 22 but they held firm to take a 10-0 half time lead. 

Changes at half time saw the whole back 5 make way for Rob Hicks, Eddie Everson, Jody Stead,Mikey Casey and Charlie Richardson with Tom Martin taking over the 10 jersey and Jake Wright moving onto the wing for Kneeshaw.It was business as usual with Martin keen to take advantage of a rare spate of quality scrum half ball cutting through the seasider’s defence with Arthur Wilson in support.Tries soon followed with Charlie Richardson bagging a brace the last from a 5 meter scrum so thanks to the pack for their hard work. Jody Stead had Arthur Wilson to thank as Wilson popped the ball up when tackled close to the try line Stead was on hand. The line out was firing on all cylinders with Kit Wilson, Hicks and Everson winning and spoiling ball all afternoon. 

Sean Quinn at Full Back was superb cleaning up the ball when kicked deep by Scarborough’s wily old full back and keen to counter attack all the time and was rewarded with a wonderful sleight of hand to put him clean through for a well deserved try which added to his man of the match. Scott Kneeshaw the returned to the field for an injured Wilson and looked sharp in the centres spinning out of a tackle by Boro’s big centre to set up Tom Martin for his try. Stead then left the field and was replaced by Polish back row Dimitry Pubik who managed to strong runs late on. 

Scarborough rallied and for 20 minutes in the second half it was stalemate but in the end Malt’ defended well to keep a clean sheet to boot as did Malt’ seconds who only managed one try in their 7-0 win at Scarborough  as all senior sides beat Scarborough. 

Thanks to Scarborough for playing their part in a great game the thirds had to play well as Scarborough were a very useful side with a solid well drilled back and a pacy set of backs. Referee Pat Stephenson once again controlled the game in his no nonsense manner which both sides appreciated, even Malton’s skipper.

Local derbies always have something extra with local bragging rights at stake.  With this convincing victory Malton completed the double over Scarborough this season and those rights, rightfully, belong to Malton.  Sponsors Barclays and their guests were treated to one of Maltons better performances of the campaign.   

It was well known in the Malton camp that the visitors would possess more bulk but little to compliment that advantage and,  if Malton could secure enough possession, they would have more than enough guile to overcome this weight advantage.  Playing conditions, the strong breeze apart, were perfect for rugby.  Malton had first use of the elements and in their first visit to Scarborough territory were awarded a penalty when a lazy runner was caught offside.  Ian Cooke slotted home the kick with four minutes on the clock.  Malton began to gain the ascendancy through some well controlled forward drives and sniping runs from the backs.  Duncan Foster and Richard Webster reigned supreme at the lineouts and centre Dave Gardner showed great strength and drive on a couple of occasions to keep the visitors alert while scrum half Nathan Reid was as alert as ever at the base.  A period of Malton possession, orchestrated by half backs Reid and Bill McCrone, then had the visitors at sixes and sevens as the ball was quickly recycled four times before reaching Cooke who scythed and danced through a static defence to score under the posts.  He added the conversion to give Malt. a ten point lead.  Three minutes later Malton tuned the screw a little harder with a turn over of possession in mid field. Flanker Sam Triffitt was on hand to burst through some weak tackles before handing on to wing Elliot Richardson who scampered over in the corner.   Scarborough then rallied briefly and when Malton infringed at a ruck prop forward Matt Jones kicked the penalty.  In recent weeks Malton have stiffened up considerably and struck back almost immediately.  Pressure was exerted by the pack and when Scarborough infringed at a set scrum Cooke added to his ever growing tally to give Malton an 18 points to 3 lead at the interval. 

Scarborough had the breeze at their backs for the second half but, although they had a couple of big boots in the side, apart from scrum half Eddie Rakanui they were bereft of any flare or ambition behind their massive but cumbersome pack.   The wind meant that Malton spent long periods in their own half and it was now time to show that they can now defend as well as the best.  The Scarborough pack did manage to cross the Malton line twice but on both occasions were prevented from touching down by the home sides dogged defence.  Malton chances were limited but good vision from McCrone in particular and Reid meant that Scarborough were never let off the hook.  Once again No.8 forward Simon Badgery was at the heart of many good things but Cooke was the stand out man of the match. 

A great weekend for Malton who won all three fixtures at against the Seasiders by a total of 63 points to 3.  The second string winning 7 – 0 and the thirds 37 – 0. 

Malton: D.Webster, E. Richardson, I.Cooke, D.Gardner, M.Williams, W.McCrone, N.Reid, A.Turnbull, C.Muscroft, E.Gwilliam, D.Foster, R.Webster(G.Dolman 60mins), S.Triffitt, J. Rounthwaite, S.Badgery(G.Dolman 35-40 mins)  

Malton came within a whisker of producing the shock result of the season against league leaders Old Brods. After weathering an early onslaught and with the famous Hipperholme slope in their favour and a stiff breeze behind them Malton ran up a 19 point interval lead.

In their first visit to the Old Brods half, after 15 minutes, the Malton pack exerted their power to turn over possession before the ball was quickly whipped out to left wing James Demsey who crossed for the opening try. The Malton pack were dominating the forward exchanges, driving back the home eight in the set pieces and stealing important line out ball to stay on the front foot. Three minutes later the lead was increased. A break in mid field by ‘man of the match’ centre Nathan Reid split the defence apart. Slick handling involving backs and forwards alike then bamboozled the home side for prop forward Adam Turnbull to cross for the try. Ian Cooke converted. Old Brods. were a threat when in possession, particularly through their pacy threequarters, but the Malton defence was firm. With the half drawing to a close a further piece of fortune fell Maltons way. A dropped ball in the home defence was hacked on by Cooke who followed up to beat the defence to the touch down. He converted the try himself and Malt. had an impressive half time lead.

The hosts had the benefit of the elements and slope for the second period and began as they meant to carry on. Raising the tempo of the game they began to show just why they have been front runners for most of the season. Maltons propensity for giving away penalties at crucial times was to be their undoing. With four minutes gone Brods. reduced the deficit when Malt were caught offside at a ruck. Two minutes later Malton lost a player to the sin bin for ten minutes for persistent offending. During that time a further ten points were conceded, a penalty for killing the ball and a try when the No.8 broke from a scrum and after brushing a couple of intended tacklers aside made good ground before handing on to his support to score under the posts. Malton then regained their concentration and still had a three point lead. Brods. however, were in more determined mood and only good defence kept them at bay until ten minutes from time when the defensive line was stretched too far and the left wing was given an unopposed run to the line to get the crucial touchdown and secure the win.

Reid was outstanding during the entire game but other good performances came from Simon Badgery at No.8, Cooke and prop Ed Gwilliam. Special mention should also be made of makeshift scrum half Elliot Richardson who put in a solid performance at the base of the pack and must be a contender for a volunteer of the year award.

Malton: D.Webster(D.Gardner 55mins), J.Dempsey, I. Cooke, N.Reid, M.Williams, W.McCrone, E.Richardson, A.Turnbull, C.Muscroft, E.Gwilliam(B.Boothman), D.Foster, R.Webster, S.Triffitt, G.Dolman(J.Rouinthwaite), S.Badgery

The thirds put in a performance worthy of the First Team but in reverse. In a true game of two halves they saved their best for the second half against a well drilled Beverley side who went 27-0 up at half time before the Thirds pulled out all stops to win the second half 5-0.What the first string would have given for such a second half performance.

At befits a third string the available players never materialised with the usual non arrivals but they put together one of their stronger packs only lacking one of the key positions, the Hooker, against Beverley this was costly against their experienced front row. Prop forwards Tony Watson and Second Rower cum prop Steve Butler mad a fine fist of hooking with Chris Wilson throwing in. Malt’ started slowly and soon conceded a try but hit back quickly setting up a ruck inched from the line but lost the ball and were soon on the back foot and a penalty soon gave Beverley an 8-0 lead. Malt’ countered with their centres Simon Massey and Dave Cash but the Bandits held firm. Wingers Tom Barratt and Jake Wright had few chances with most work in defence with Full Back Steve Heselwood kept busy.

Malt’ had a good period in the Bandit’s 22 but sadly a broken collar bone to stand off Ed Senior, who was starting to conjure up some threatening breaks with Massey, resulted in more changes (the injury had nothing to do with his scrum half).Malt’s backs were a real mix with Jody Stead on the wing/centre, Tom Barratt having a spell in the centres and Melvyn Pears on the wing. At half time Malton were 27-0 down and Chris Wilson roasted his troops who suddenly looked rejuvenated and hit back quickly. The forwards all fired up soon began to run straight to set up quick ball which Chris Roberts, Eddie Everson, Harry Wilson and Charlie Richardson were keen to use.Beverley, now on the back foot began to transgress, Malt’ without Senior’s fine boot chose to run and from 5 metres out Steve Butler sent out a Bergamasco bouncing pass to Stead who did what he does best, run straight and Malt’ had their try. More beckoned as Malt went for the win. They began to win some lineout and scrum ball and this was well used, however injuries to Pears ,Sledge Ellis and Cash saw repeated changes with Jake Wright yo-yoing back and forth to cover as changes were made and Phil Scaling coming on for the last five minutes.

The whistle blew with Beverley 27-5 winners. They played the better over the full 80 minutes with their 2 young centres looking sharp. If Malt had played the full 80 like the final 40 the result would have been close but on this occasion it was the Bandits who took the spoils.

After the previous weeks excellent performance the Malton support looked forward to a similar effort in the much looked forward to derby encounter with York.  What they got was just the reverse.

The opening was quite bright with Malton holding onto possession well for the opening five minutes and exerting pressure on the York defence.  On five minutes all seemed to be going to plan when York were penalised for not releasing the ball after a tackle and Ian Cooke converted the penalty award.  As so often happens, a couple of minutes later York equalised when Malton were penalised for a similar offence 40 metres out.  Fly half Paul Williams sending the ball between the posts with something to spare.  York were beginning to gain a foothold and strived to get their much more lively threequartwer line moving.  The home defence held firm with several good tackles halting potentially dangerous situations.  Eagerness in the defensive line conceded another penalty on the quarter hour and again Williams made no mistake.  The game was finely poised with Malton mounting one or two attacks of their own, mainly through the driving runs of prop Ed Gwilliam and No.8. Simon Badgery.  Sadly, they were unable to capitalise and York weathered the storm to mount a period of sustained pressure on the home line for the final ten minutes of the half.  A nice chip over the defence was well followed up for the first try of the game and a half time lead, to York, of 11 points to 3.

Maltons season long failing of falling asleep for long periods during a game was very evident for the opening fifteen minutes of the second half.  York were allowed to steal the ball on the left touchline and send a wing man on a long run to the line, bouncing off a couple of defenders as he progressed, to touch down in the corner.  Williams converted to increase the lead.  This was the wake up call Malton needed and, mainly through the efforts of the pack, began to get back into the game.  Duncan Foster and Richard Webster were towers of strength in the line outs and Gwilliam and Badgery continued to be a thorn in Yorks side.  However, a combination of solid York defence and poor decision making in the Malton ranks meant that scoring opportunities were at a minimum.  In the dying minutes Malton produced the best move of the game.  Cooke broke brilliantly from mid field, assisted by fellow centre Nathan Reid, before handing on to wing matt Williams who was stopped just short of the corner.  Quick recirculation of the ball found Malton with a three man overlap on the opposite side of the pitch.  A long pass from fly half Bill McCrone found flanker Sam Triffitt who crossed unopposed for a good try.  Cooke converted to bring the scores closer at the final whistle.

York were deserved winners in a game which was hard fought but failed to reach the heights expected.

Malton: D.Webster, E.Richardson, I.Cooke, N.Reid, M.Williams, W.McCrone, J.Wainwright(B.Martin 70mins), A.Turnbull, S.Piercy(C.Muscroft 50mins), E.Gwilliam, D.Foster, R.Webster, S.Triffitt, J.Rounthwaite(G.Dolman 50mins), S.Badgery

Malton seconds gave a powerfull performance of controlled rugby to come out
victorious in this epic encounter which demonstrated how far they have come
this season after loosing heavily at home against the same team.

The key to the victory really was the ability of Malton to soak up the
initial tirade of Beverley attack in the opening 15 minutes and then
convert their dominance into points on the board.

Strong tackling from Steve Pease, Adam Daley, and father and son Matthew
and Andrew Boothman kept the Malton line clean and this took the sting out
of the Beverley attack. Malton then slowly built their way into the game
and even though it was first blood to the opposition team spirit for Malton
was on the up. First half tries from Jack Lund and Nick Salisbury kept
Malton in the fight and the teams turned round all square.

With Dan Coates, Rob Hicks and Mikey Marton mastering the lineout Malton
started to take control and set up effective ball for the backs to work
with. Jon Cattle linked well with Adam Daley and released man of the match
Rob Armitage to wreak havoc in the Beverly midfield earning a try for
himself and relasing the ball for one of the brace of tries for Nick
Barstow.

Malton seconds move on from this game confident that they can take on all
opposition put in front of them and maintain their position at the top of
the East Yorkshire second team merit table.

Rob Hicks

There was no third team game as Hullensians cried off.

This was one of the finest examples of a game of very competitive rugby where the scoreline is no reflection on the actual game. In some quarters it was David against Goliath. After the match when asked what the difference was between the stand offs the reply about 10 stone was accurate with Selby’s man mountain 10 with a Duffesque  boot was  up against Malton’s own 10 stone pocket rocket and Man of The Match, Ed  Senior, whose astute kicking and sublime defence against far bigger opponents was a joy to watch.

Malton did well to field a full side with a number of players still announcing their unavailability on Saturday morning letting their team mates down. If the thirds look for a sponsor next season they need look no further than Imodium.

From the off Selby attacked and soon went 7-0 up. Malt showed willing to attack and were quick to get the ball out wide with new centre pairing Neil Gilberston and Sean Quinn showing a great understanding .However every time Malt attacked in the Selby 22, Selby defended astutely until they gained the ball and their giant stand off hoofed the ball way into Malton’s half. Malt’ had a new hooker in Marty Nordii who  despite the wind used Rob Hicks in the line out to good effect and this sent the backs loose with wingers Tom Barratt and Jake Wright having time to run the wings. Selby’s drift defence was effective keeping Malt’ at bay. Selby then score again but Malt’ hit back and had an intense period in the Selby 22 taking a succession of Tap Penalties using props Tony Watson and Adam Wright as battering rams. After Jody Stead had been trampled on to win another penalty he was the next to launch at the Selby defence and after gaining 20 yards was brought down inches short of the line. Soon after a ruck was formed and somehow Sledge Ellis stole the ball and went clean through the middle with Hick in support and again Selby defended.

At half time Selby led by 3 tries to nil.

Dave MacDowell although injured added a half time team talk the essence being that Malt’ were having to commit too many numbers to the rucks and mauls with Selby putting men out so they could gain the overlap. Malt’ tried to address this but it was hard in the circumstance as some big tackles after two men on one were often needed to keep Selby at bay.

Selby may have scored more but for Malton’s resilient defence with Charlie Richardson and Jody Stead working overtime. Full back Steve Heselwood had a tidy game kept busy with Selby’s deep kicking and fielding some useful return kicks.

Steve Butler made a welcome return to the second row adding his much needed experience to the second row and even finding time to have a few ill chosen words with the ref’,who seemed very keen to play advantage sometimes it seemed 5 minutes passed with Selby gaining no advantage before he brought play back for a Selby penalty. Perhaps the ref’ always seems harsh when you are loosing?

With 15 minutes to go Stead who had played despite an injured ankle left the field and Phil Scaling joined the fray and even the ref and the Selby back row advised him on the correct bind. With all concentrating on Scaling it allowed Lyon a nifty feed into the scrum and the ball flowed swiftly to Senior, to Quinn then Gilbertson then Barratt who beat his opposite number, pinned back his ears but has stopped by a last ditch Selby tackle. With minutes to go it was Barratt’s turn to put in a try saving tackle which was applauded even by Selby. Selby passed the 50 mark, a score that flattered them. Malt’ can take great heart from this performance; they tackled well, showed willingness to spin the ball wide but on the day came up against a strong Selby outfit. 

Having progressed to the quarter finals of the EDF Senior Vase, at the expense of York, the previous weekend and sitting in pole position of Yorkshire 1 Bradford must have thought a run out against lowly Malton & Norton would be a mere formality.   Showing  several changes from the side which played the previous week as a result of injury, work and holiday commitments, the sceptics in the home support must have feared the worst.  However, they witnessed one of the best games of rugby seen at The Gannock for a year or two.  In addition, one of the stars of the show was 17 years old debutant scrum half James Wainwright.

After an even first ten minutes with both sides trying to gain the advantage it was Malton who struck the first blow.  No.8 forward Simon Badgery broke from defence and when the ball reached centre Nathan Reid he pinned his ears back and raced in for a try from forty yards out to gain the lead.  Ian Cooke obliged with the conversion.  The Malton pack, although outweighed in the set pieces, were causing mayhem in the Salem ranks with some powerful drives into the heart of the defence.  Prop forward Ed Gwilliam in particular was prominent in this department and following one of his strong drives Malton were awarded a penalty.  From the resultant line out Malt. sent the ball into midfield and from a ruck under the posts young Wainwright picked up and used his height to stretch over for a well deserved try.  Again Cooke converted.  At this stage Malton were playing most of the good rugby and calling the tune.  Salem are a good side and in the lead up to half time rallied to mount a sustained attack on the Malton line.  The home defence, brilliantly marshalled by Reid and Cooke stood firm and Malton led 14 – 0 at the interval.

On several occasions this season Malton have been guilty of throwing away a mid game advantage and go on to lose the match.  For the first twenty minutes of the second period another upset was on the cards as Malton made too many unforced errors and conceded far too many unnecessary penalties.  During that time visiting fly half John Robinson kicked a penalty and when the referee played a good advantage for a Malton off side Salem narrowed the deficit further with a try from flanker John Luxton which Robinson improved.

Malton were showing much more fight than of late and fly half Bill McCrone kept the pressure on Salem with some accurate tactical kicking.  From one such kick deep into the Salem 22 metre area the Malton back row and Reid combined to strip the defender of the ball and Sam Triffitt galloped in for Maltons third and decisive try.  Cooke again converted to restore the gap to eleven points.  Salem again came back but some tremendous defence kept them at bay and nullified all threats.  However, they did manage to reduce the arrears in the final minutes.  When Malton failed to cleanly catch their own ball at a line out on the line Salem hooker Sean Fields was quickest to react and got the final score of the game.

This was a fine team effort from Malton with Reid, Gwilliam and Badgery outstanding.  McCrone and Cooke were assured in everything they did and the pack, well led by Duncan Foster, proved too difficult a unit for Salem to tame.

Next weeks encounter with York, at The Gannock, is awaited with interest.  If Malt can reproduce this performance another thriller is in store.

Malton: M.Williams(J.Dempsey 65mins), E.Richardson, I.Cooke, N.Reid, L.Cowton, W.McCrone, J.Wainwright, A.Turnbull, C.Muscroft,E.Gwilliam(S.Pease 55mins), D.Foster, R.Webster, S.Triffitt, G.Dolman(J.Rounthwaite 55mins), S.Badgery  

With Ryedale wrapped in a blanket of snow a rapid thaw at the coast and some heroic work by Bridlington club members ensured that the game went ahead, albeit on a very wet and sticky surface. The weather had prevented both sides from training during the week and the signs were evident to all.

The first quarter was evenly contested with neither side having an advantage. Indeed, for a derby game they were both a little flat. Mid-way through the half Bridlington took the lead with a penalty when Malton were penalised for entering a ruck from the side. There then followed a ten minute period when Malt. appeared to go to sleep. A poor kick from defence failed to make touch and was quickly recycled by Brid. who quickly set up a series of rucks close to the Malton line before creating the overlap foe the first try. The conversion was successful and two minutes later the dose was repeated. Again, a clearing touch kick failed to find its target and was swiftly swept across field for a try in the right corner. Bridlington had a fifteen point advantage at the break but Malton were still in the game and looking to liven up proceedings in the second half. Unfortunately those plans were disrupted by injuries to front row forwards Steve Piercy and Paul Dobson. Piercy has been an inspirational stand in for Carl Muscroft but left the field at the break with a shoulder injury. Malton were showing more fight, especially up front, but were further disrupted when Dobson was illegally taken out at a ruck. The offending Brid. player was sent to the sin bin while Dobson was carried off on a stretcher and subsequently to hospital with damaged ribs. Maybe the card shown to the Brid. player was of the wrong colour!! In any event uncontested scrums were then introduced and the game as a spectacle petered out.

Malton: I.Cooke, E.Richardson, N.Reid, D.Gardner, J.Dempsey, W.McCrone, R.Davenport, P.Dobson(J.Rounthwaite 50mins), S.Piercy(A.Turnbull 40mins), E.Gwilliam, D.Foster, R.Webster, A.Mitchell (S.Badgery 50mins), G.Dolman, S.Triffitt.

This was more like the Malton & Norton we have come to like in recent years. Admittedly the opposition are firmly anchored to the foot of the league, but they still have to be overcome and Malton did that with something to spare.

Glossop have a very large pack and very little else. Therefore they have a very one dimensional approach to the game. If the forward juggernaut can be stopped there is no alternative plan. The Malton game plan was simple, attack from everywhere and get the ball away from the forward battle. The home plan was obviously the more successful. The first breech of the visitors defence came after five minutes when Ian Cooke broke from the Malton half and, without having to do very much, ran straight through the visitors defence before sending in volunteer scrum half Nathan Reid for a try under the posts. Cooke converted and the show was underway. Constant Malton pressure meant that Glossop were conceding penalties at regular intervals. After eleven minutes Malton were awarded a penalty under the posts. The quick thinking Reid quickly took kick and passed it wide before looping round to take the return and drive for the line. A combination of his strength and the power of his supporting players drove him over for the second try. Cooke again converted. There was hardly time to draw breath before the next score came along. Fly half Bill McCrone broke on half way and opened the way for No.8 Simon Badgery to battle through several half hearted tackles before sending in centre Phil Pateman for the third try which Cooke again improved.

So often this season Malton have fallen apart with a 20 point lead and briefly that looked likely again as they went into a period of slumber, during which time Glossop reduced the deficit when malt. were penalised for entering a ruck from the wrong side. However, life was soon restored and another Cooke break was carried on by Wings Elliot Richardson and Stephen Scoles. Just as a try seemed to be coming the final pass was adjudged to be forward and the half ended with Malton holding a 21 points to 3 lead.

Malton had the advantage of the wind for the second period and it did not take long for the game to spring back to life. With seven minutes gone Reid was dispatched to the sin bin when he tried to remove a Glossop player from an off side position with his feet. However, despite his absence, Malton ran in two further tries. Firstly a strong forward drive in the visitors 22 metre area gave stand in scrum half Scoles the opportunity to show his alround skills with a break from the base to carry him over for his sides fourth try. Cooke added the conversion. Five minutes later good line out ball was transferred to the backs for Dave Gardner to set up a good position in mid field. The ball was quickly transferred to wing Richardson who crossed in the corner. Malton again had a five minute breather which allowed Glossop to reduce the arrears again with a converted try of their own before normal service was resumed. Malton skipper Andy Mitchell was forced to leave the field early with a shoulder injury and was replaced by 20 years old debutant Jamie Rounthwaite. In the twenty minutes he was on the field he certainly made an impact. Firstly, after Reid had disrupted Glossop possession at a scrum and picked up Rounthwaite was on hand to take his pass and crash over under the posts for Malton reach the 40 point mark. Secondly, a ruck on the left touchline produced fast ball for Malton and it was swung across field. An exquisite piece of handling by Rounthwaite created the extra man for gardner to cross for a well deserved try. Cookes conversion ended a profitable afternoon for Malt.

This was Maltons most convincing display of the last two years. The cohesion is just about there and the outlook looks brighter by the week. Certainly with young talents like Rounthwaite, Dolman, Triffitt, Dempsey and Boothman, to call upon with others to follow there is a good base for the future. Interestingly, all of the side for this game were under 30 years of age.

Malton take a rest on Saturday before heading to Bridlington for the East Yorkshire derby the following week.

Malton: I.Cooke(J.Dempsey 65-70mins), S.Scoles, P.Pateman, D.Gardner, E.Richardson, W.McCrone, N.Reid, P.Dobson(N.Salisbury 35-45mins), S.Piercy, B.Boothman, D.Foster, R. Webster, A.Mitchell(J.Rounthwaite 60mins), G.Dolman, S.Badgery.

This was an absolute classic game that ebbed and flowed with the result in doubt until the final whistle. After the first 10 minutes it looked like Pock’ were heading for a big win, with 10 minutes to go it was Malt who appeared to have the game in the bag but great fight backs by both side thrilled the crowd until the very last play.

Pock arrived with the classic heavy weight pack and having lost their hookers to injury and the first team they had to field a prop packed front row with Sledge Ellis, Tony Watson and Adam Wright holding their own against the experienced Pock’ front three.

It was Pock who made the early play scoring 2 classic tries from close quarters to go 10-0 up. It was Pock’s stand off who dictated play with diagonal kicks to the corners pushing Malt’ on the back foot. Full back Tom Riddols was always keen to run out of trouble with Malt’s game plan to get quick ball to their backs. As Malt’ secured more ball stand off Ed Senior started to put some clever moves together releasing Centres Simon Massey and Sean Quinn whose breaks had Pock’ in trouble, wingers Chris Terrington and Marty Nordii were ever present in support. It was a superb tackle by Pock’ that prevented a certain try as Chris broke clear but he was soon to score as Riddols from a quick penalty put him clean through to narrow the gap.Malt then made their early changes with Chris Wilson making way for Sam Shelley and Steve Heselwood coming onto the wing.From a ruck on the right hand side Shelley called for a short ball from Scrum half Lyon and the ball was quickly transferred through Massey and Quinn to Tristan Bean, then Rob Hicks who broke the tackle popped the ball up to Quinn whose swift hands put Riddolls clean through and the score were tied at 10-10 at half time.

Malt could look forward to a wind assisted second half and more changes were made with Jake Wright, Scott Kneeshaw and Geoff Pears joining in. The game plan remained the same with a slightly more open game producing gaps in the well drilled Pock’ defence whose 2 centres took every chance to counter at Malt with some well rehearsed moves with their stand off. Malt held firm and it was their own stand off, Ed Senior who kicked deep to clear any danger. Malt scored next, Mikey Casey tried to dummy his way through and although stopped in his tracks set the ball up and Riddolls burst through for his second try which Senior converted. Soon after Sam Shelley having moved from Number 8 to Hooker finished off a fine move and Malt’ went 22-10 up. With Malt’ expecting to score a few more with 10 minutes to go they found Pock’ hitting back with sustained play in Malt’s 22 and their third try and it was 22-17 with 5 minutes to go.Pock’ again made their way into Malts 22 following a classy break by their stand off who lost a boot on half way and was finally stopped on the 22.Malt’ had to defend as Pock’ through everything bar the kitchen sink at them until the final play had a 5 metre scrum which Malt’ won cleanly, Lyon fed Quinn who hoofed the ball to touch and the whistle blew.

This was a superb keenly contested game between two well matched sides played in the true spirit of third team rugby and a referee keen to talk to both sides and play advantage whenever he could. Malt’s only regret was not finding the right moment to bring on Phil Scaling but hopefully next week he will get his chance.

Malton enjoyed a great afternoon of Rugby and even though they took thespoils the real winner was the game of Rugby as the game went ahead despitethe slings and arrows of adversity.With the pitches at Malton deemed waterlogged the decision was taken lastminute to trek over The Wolds but the conditions were little better. Hull then announced that they would need to borrow 3 players and a ref so theywere lent Messrs Nordli, Scaling and Wright and Chris Wilson agreed toreferee.

From the opening kick off Malton took a clean catch before setting up amaul with James Beal breaking at the back and then darting through themidfield to touch down under the posts.  From then on the ball had thehandling qualities of a bar of soap but it was still Malton who controlledit the best.  

The front row of Adam Wright, Martin Watson and Tony Watson managed to win their own and steal opposition ball and behind then RobHicks, Harry Wilson, Eddie Everard, Mikey Casey and Tristan Bean  took theball into contact and revelled in the increasingly muddy conditions.Adam Wright earned his first try of the season with a typical bullockingforward charge to put day light between the teams at half time.The second half saw the Malton backs develop  velcro handling which allowedEd Senior to ship the ball through the safe hands of Gary Davies, and SeanQuinn to Tom Barrett, Ed Rounthwaite and Steve Heselwood who made hisexperience count by marshalling the young troops around him whilst keepinghis own shirt clean.Ed Rounthwaite was unlucky not to score with a kick and chase that showedhis gazelle like running ability even in the ankle deep mud.Sean Quinn earned his man of the match award for repeated strong runs intothe heart of the opposition territory and from one such run the ball was set up for James Beal to cross for his second of the match.  He narrowlymissed out on his hat trick as his foot was dragged into touch as he wentover in the corner.

The final whistle was blown at around the time that both teams were wearingabout the same thickness of camouflaging mud.A special mention of note for Phil Scaling who played his first full seniorgame of rugby on loan to Hull.It was noted that several of the players had treated their ladies to aweekend of mud baths and massages at the best health spas in Yorkshire.The men of the house proved how this type of experience can be gainedfreely if you are not two choosy about your masseuse and partner in theshower afterwards.

Rob Hicks

Considering the appalling weather conditions of the preceding week the conditions at Halifax could not have been better for good rugby.  In racing parlance the ground would probably be described as good to soft.  Both sides set out to play an open game of rugby and produced the goods to keep the crowd well entertained.  When the sides last met earlier in the season, at The Gannock, Malton were on the wrong end of a fifty point defeat.  This time around they showed just how far they have come since those dark days of Autumn.  Although they failed to bring home the points, Malton gave a good account of themselves against one of the higher riding sides of the league despite two late call offs because of illness.

Malton kicked off to Heath and quickly regained possession to mount the first attack of the game which almost produced a try when right wing Steve Scoles was just forced into touch short of the line following excellent work from Ian Cooke.  Heath cleared their lines and made progress towards the Malton line.  When Malt. were penalised for not rolling away from a tackle the Heath scrum half took full advantage to put his side in front.  Some good end to end entertainment followed for the next twenty minutes without either side managing to capitalise until Heath had the put in at a scrum five metres out from the Malton line.  The Number 8 forward picked up and broke to the blind side before handing on to his flanker who crashed over in the corner.  Ten minutes later Malton were penalised for foot up at a scrum.  A quick tap and go put Heath onto the front foot and a break from the fly half opened the gap for the hosts second try of the afternoon.  The conversion was successful and Malton went into the break 15 – 0 down.

In the opening minute of the second half Malton struck back.  An attack was halted when centre Nathan Reid was tackled high and Cooke put his sides first points on the board with the penalty kick.  Heath then scored the try of the game.  A break in mid field from the inside centre tore the Malton defence wide open.  He then passed on to his centre colleague who was left with a one to one situation with the last Malton defender.  In those situations a score should always be expected and he did not disappoint, touching down beneath the posts.  The Malton fight back then gained momentum with Scoles having two fine runs after good work from fly half Bill McCrone and Reid.  Eventually the pressure produced a result.  From a free kick 20 metres out scrum half Elliot Richardson first dummied infield before passing to the short side where young wing James Dempsey showed good skills in evading a couple of tackles to cross in the corner.  Malton were now gaining the upper hand, with the pack beginning to dominate.  When Heath were caught offside 40 metres out Cooke stepped up to send the ball between the posts to narrow the gap further. With a quarter of the game still to go hopes of victory were rising.  However, Heath were never going to surrender easily and held all efforts at bay until the final whistle

Malton are still in the nether regions of the league but, judging from this performance, they should be able to gain the necessary victories to climb to safety.

Next week Malton entertain bottom side Glossop at The Gannock.

Malton: I.Cooke, S.Scoles, N.Reid, L.Cowton, J.Dempsey, W.McCrone, E.Richardson, P.Dobson, S.Piercy, A.Turnbull(B.Boothman 60mins), D.Foster, R.Webster, A.Mitchell, G.Dolman, S.Triffitt.   

The first requisite of a supporter of Malton and Norton is a strong constitution.  Maybe a cardiologist should be recruited to attend to those of faint heart.  Not for the first time this season a commanding lead was gained which appeared to be leading to a sizeable victory.  However, a spirited comeback and an inexplicable drop in the level of performance of the home side allowed Sheffield to almost produce the shock of the day.

Malton began with a flourish.  Keeping the ball from the kick off with some slick rugby and safe handling they clawed their way into scoring territory and when the Sheffield threequarters were caught offside Ian Cooke converted the penalty to give Malt. an early lead.  The Malton pack were dominating both line outs and scrums.  Duncan Foster and Richard Webster were stealing line out ball at will and the front row of Paul Dobson, Steve Piercy and Ed Gwilliam possessed too much power for their opponents to cope with. The constant pressure had to tell and after ten minutes the first try came.  A well worked move in the backs, orchestrated by fly half Bill McCrone, set up centre Nathan Reid for his first try at The Gannock.  Cooke added the extras and Malton were looking a different outfit to that which had struggled before the Christmas break.  Indeed, with a little more luck they could have been out of sight after twenty minutes.  Centre Dave Gardner was stopped just short of the line when a try looked certain and on another occasion the final pass just failed to find its target.  However, the second score did arrive after twenty five minutes.  McCrone, having his best game in Malton colours, made the initial break before handing on to Reid who made further ground before chipping ahead.  Scrum half James Pang outpaced the defence and had the presence of mind to tap the ball on with his foot before it sat up perfectly for him to cross for his sides second try.  Again Cooke converted.

The visitors reduced the lead in the final minute of the half with a penalty when a Malton player was shown a yellow card for illegally collapsing a maul.  From the restart Malton regained possession for McCrone and Reid to again combine to send wing Elliot Richardson in at the corner for the last score of the half.  Malton went into the break with a lead of 22 points to 3 and looked to add to the tally in the second period.

Everything seemed to be going to plan and a further three points were added when Sheffield conceded a penalty for entering a ruck from the side and Cooke converted.  From that point on Malton went into reverse gear.  The earlier snap in the set pieces disappeared and the disciplined defence faded into insignificance.  Sheffield took full advantage and after a period of pressure on the Malton line broke away from a maul to cross for their first try.  Three minutes later they repeated the dose and converted the try to move within ten points of Malton and with a quarter of the game still to go.  The home defence then reorganised and managed to weather the storm until the 36th minute when Sheffield took their own line out and drove over for their third try.  The conversion was successful and only three points separated the teams with five minutes remaining.  Fortunately Malton held out to the final whistle and took the points on offer.

For threequarters of this game Malton looked like league leaders rather than strugglers but they must find a way of gelling as a team for a full 80 minutes rather if they are to progress further. 

Malton: I.Cooke, S.Scoles, N.Reid, D.Gardner, E.Richardson, W. McCrone, J.Pang(J.Dempsey 70mins), P.Dobson(A.Turnbull 60mins), S.Piercy, E.Gwilliam(S.Pease 60mins), D.Foster, R.Webster, A.Mitchell, G.Dolman, S.Triffitt.

A bumper Boxing Day crowd enjoyed this traditional fixture played under floodlights.

All the early running was from Norton who scored early tries from James McKay and Rob Hopkinson. Malton stemmed the flow of points with a try from Laim Vaughan but it was Norton who turned round at half time with a convincing 26 - 5 lead.

With a flurry of substitutions at half time the balance of power was
shifted back to The Highlanders who slowly worked their way back into the game with strong runs from Josh Evans, John Dobson and Steve Piercy. With ten minutes remaining Malton managed to pull themselves clear and hold on at the end under severe at the end.

With Christmas being a family time of year this ethos was promoted within the teams with fathers and sons or brothers of the following families all playing in the match. Mosey, Casey, Whincup, Wilson and Midgley.

Special thanks are extended to Corporate Trends clothing who sponsored the match and Richard John of the company who refereed the match.

Victory is always sweet no matter how it is achieved.  Skipton was recently voted Britains best market town.  Sadly, the Sandylands ground, which can be best described as a quagmire, does not live up to the same reputation. 

Malton had not played for three weeks and were giving debuts to centre Nathan Reid and wing Steve Scoles while John Dobson was making a guest appearance in the second row while on a fleeting visit from Australia.  The first half was a stalemate with Malton having the only clear cut chance of a score when a clever chip through by fly half Bill McCrone was followed up by Scoles who appeared to get the all important touch down ahead of the defence.  However, the referee had other ideas and ruled out the score.

For the second period Malton introduced Duncan Foster to the fray, following his recent knee operation, and the supply of lineout ball immediately improved.  Paul Dobson was added to the front row and the extra drive began to give Malt. the advantage.  Scrum half Rupert Davenport was giving a master class in the mud and constantly probed at the home defence with clever kicks for his wings to chase and harry and coming to the rescue with clearing kicks in defence.  From one such kick the Skipton fullback found himself isolated and failed to release the ball after the tackle.  Ian Cooke stepped up and converted the penalty to take Malton into the lead.  Within minutes Skipton were level when it was Maltons turn to be penalised for pulling down at a scrum.  Malton were conceding far too many penalties at this stage and Skipton did attempt a couple of very long distance kicks in an effort to gain the advantage.  However, the conditions were very much against heroics and it was Malton who prospered.  Despite losing John Dobson to an enforced ten minute sojourn they took the lead in the 39th minute.  Again it was a kick and chase that produced the score.  Reid smashed into his man in mid field and with Malton streaming forward the home player again failed to release and Cooke again converted.  From that point on and deep into injury time it was all Malton.  The first cohesive threequarter movement of the game almost produced a try but again Skipton were penalised close to their own line.  When a kick at goal would have eaten up the remaining time Malton decided to kick for the corner.  Foster won the line out and the pack drove for the line.  From the third phase hooker Ed Gwilliam broke off and crossed unopposed to get a perfectly good touchdown.  Not for the first time the referee disallowed the score because he was unsighted.  However, was able to blow his whistle to call time on the game and Malton had the points.

Davenport was the star on the day closely followed by skipper Andy Mitchell and his fellow back row forward Sam Triffitt but Reid and Scoles both showed what may be in store as conditions improve.  Certainly the outlook is a lot brighter than it was a few weeks ago and there is no lack of ambition in the squad.

Malton will play Driffield in a friendly fixture at The Gannock on January 3rd.

Malton: I.Cooke, S.Scoles, N.Reid, D.Gardner(J.Pang 55 mins), E.Richardson, W.McCrone, R.Davenport, N.Salisbury(P.Dobson 50 mins), E.Gwilliam, A.Turnbull, J.Dobson, R.Webster, A.Mitchell, G.Dolman(D.Foster 40mins), S. Triffitt. 

Yet again Malton returned home having outplayed their opposition but having nothing to show for their efforts.  Not for the first time this season a second half collapse from a commanding  position was the cause.

Keighley kicked off and spent the first few minutes in the Malton half as the visitors became accustomed to the cold and foggy conditions.  However, the defence stood firm and on seven minutes a break from defence from fullback James Dempsey was carried on by Rob Armitage and Sam Triffitt before Triffitt  broke free to cross in the corner.  Cooke added the conversion from the touchline and Malt. spirits visibly rose.  Keighley looked a disorganised outfit as Malt piled on the pressure.  The pack were dominating all aspects of the forward battle to ensure a safe supply of ball and forcing the home side to concede a number of penalties to stem the tide.  With twenty minutes gone Cooke added a penalty to his points tally when Keighley infringed at a ruck and increased the lead to ten points.  A brief rally from Keighley took them into the Malton 22 metre area where it was Maltons turn to concede a penalty and the hosts duly reduced the deficit.

With the half drawing to a close Malton again sprang to life.  Fly half Bill McCrone made a good break from a scrum which wing Armitage carried on before transferring to Cooke who split the defence before chipping ahead for McCrone to chase and get the touch down.  Cooke added the extras and Malton had a good lead going into the break.

Keighley have made a habit of recovering seemingly lost causes during the second half of games this season and this was to prove no exception.  A rejuvenated pack began to take the game to Malton and set up camp in the Malton half.  For some unknown reason the early composure shown by Malt seemed to disappear as the hosts harried and hustled them into mistakes.  Eventually the defences were breeched as the Keighley pack drove over for a try to open the game up again.  This time it was Keighley whose spirits rose as Malton slipped into a dream world.  Although still looking the better side, far too many unforced errors were creeping into their game and Keighley brought the scores even closer when Malton conceded a penalty for handling at a ruck.  Malton now had fifteen minutes to either hang onto their slender lead or add to it.  A return to the disciplined approach of the first half was needed.  Unfortunately it was not to be.  With the clock running down an attempted clearance from the Malton line was charged down and Keighley got the winning score from the follow up.

Concentration levels are a problem during the second half of games and are costing the side dearly.  They are playing some very good committed rugby for two thirds of most games but then lapse into long periods of disjointed play.  Fitness levels are high but concentration must be maintained for the full 80 minutes of the game.  On a positive note, Ian Cooke was back to his best after injury and young James Dempsey improves with every game at fullback.  Sam Triffitt was again outstanding up front .

Malton: J.Dempsey, R.Armitage, I.Cooke, D. Gardner, L.Cowton(D.Coates 65mins),W.McCrone, E.Richardson,N.Salisbury, E.Gwilliam, J.Richards, D.Foster, R.Webster, A.Mitchell, G.Dolman(J.Machin(60mins), S. Triffitt.

Local derbies are always difficult to predict and when both sides are rooted to the foot of the league the outcome can be crucial. Conditions for rugby could not have been better at Newby and the large crowd were kept fully entertained throughout with the result in the balance until the final whistle.

Malton started with purpose and, after a couple of probing runs by centre and also Maltons man of the match Dave Gardner, the pack took over and set four phases of rucks and mauls to suck the opposition in before scrum half Ed Pang chipped over the defence to the corner. As two Scarborough defenders expected the ball to roll dead live wire wing Phil Pateman followed up to touch down in the corner. Ian Cooke converted with a fine kick. This was just the early score Malton needed to settle the nerves and they came straight back from the kick off. The Scarborough pack were a mighty but ageing unit in the set pieces but Maltons tactics of constantly changing the point of attack were slowly drawing the stamina from the home pack and a succession of penalties ensued. However, Malton were unable to profit and Scarborough turned the tables to set up camp in the Malton 22 metre area for long periods. Maltons defence in recent weeks has become almost watertight and so it proved again despite some dangerous breaks from mid field by the home side. The Malton back row of Andy Mitchell, Guy Dolman and Sam Triffitt were outstanding along with Pateman and Cooke in stemming the tide. Eventually Malton clawed their way back to the other end to pose a threat of their own. The pack drove over the line but the score was ruled out when the referee adjudged that the ball had not been grounded. From the resulting scrum Pang broke to the blind side to find a gaping hole. Using his lightning speed he crossed without a hand being laid on him to give Malton a 12 point half way lead.

The second half began with Scarborough pressing hard and, after missing a penalty attempt in the opening minute, had a try disallowed when the referee again decided that the ball had not been grounded. Although the home side attacks were heavily reliant on individual efforts rather than team work, they were proving difficult to cope with. However, they were being kept at bay but the line finally cracked when the home centre burst through two tackles to cross between the posts. Scarborough skipper Josh Bullen converted and the game was again wide open.

It was now Maltons turn to apply the screw and they were denied a good score following some breathtaking handling by Triffitt, James Dempsey and Pateman. The referee initially signalled a try but was forced to alter his decision when the home touch judge belatedly raised his flag. Minutes later a similar situation arose and the score was again ruled out to keep the game alive. Consequently, Scarborough fought back strongly but he Malton defence, although stretched, managed to hold out for the win and overtake Scarborough in the battle for survival.

This was the win Malton needed and, with reinforcements on the way, they should be able to kick on from this point. Having reverted to a much simpler plan Duncan Foster and Richard Webster dominated the line outs, the front row was solid and the back row covered every inch of the park. Behind the pack Gardner was the pick with his bullocking runs but teenager James Dempsey, at full back took the eye and was unlucky not to get his name on the score sheet when he was stopped just short after a fine run.

Malton have a free week on Saturday as they take a rest before travelling to Keighley for their next game.

MALTON: J.Dempsey, P.Pateman(R.Armitage 65mins), I.Cooke, D.Gardner, E.Richardson. W. McCrone, E.Pang, P.Dobson, N.Salisbury(A.Turnbull 60mins), E.Gwilliam, D.Foster, R.Webster, A.Mitchell, G.Dolman(J.Machin 60mins),S.Triffitt.

Bradford Salem currently occupy one of the top two positions in the league while Malton languish at the bottom of the pile.  However, for much of this game any neutral could have been forgiven for thinking the reverse was true.  Malton were given a strict game plan and admirably stuck to it to keep Salem on the back foot for long periods.  Within two minutes Malton were given a chance to take the lead when Salem transgressed at a line out.  David Websters kick from wide out on the left touchline appeared to be soaring between the posts when the wind took a hand and diverted it onto a post and away from the target, the first of three occasions in the game when he was to suffer the same fate.  On ten minutes Salem took the lead when Malton were penalised, rather harshly, for a handling offence at a ruck.  Undeterred by the set back, Malt came straight back and when Salem slipped their binding at a scrum David Webster levelled the scores.  Salem then threatened for a period but good defence by Malton kept them at bay and one break out of defence by centre Ian Cooke took him sixty metres upfield to cause alarm at the other end.  Neither side could break the deadlock in a tight half and honours were even at the break although Malton had been the more adventurous and threatening side.

After the break Malton had the stiff breeze at their backs and looked to press home their advantage.  However, a poor decision and two missed tackles in defence gave Salem the opportunity they needed to pull clear with a converted try.  Malton soon recovered and a series of drives in the home 22 metre area took them to within sniffing distance of the line.  After one sniping run from scrum half Edmund Pang was stopped the ball was recycled to fly half Bill McCrone who found the gap to get over in the corner and touch down.  Webster, with a magnificent kick from the touchline, converted and the scores were level.  It was now Salem turn to fight back and from a maul close to the Malton line the score came when Malton failed to bring the maul down and Salem got the touchdown to regain the lead.  Webster then suffered the misfortune of seeing a long range penalty attempt bounce off a post again to rebound to safety, much to Salems relief.  The game was still anyones for the taking and the feeling around the ground was that whoever scored next would take the points.  That the next score should come in controversial circumstances was something of a kick in the teeth for a gallant Malton. A huge knock on, by a Salem forward, on the Malton 22 metre line went unpunished and with the line beckoning Salem took full advantage to get the winning score with the game almost at an end.

Hopefully this display will raise the confidence in the Malton ranks.  Many of the Salem supporters were of the opinion that Malton were one of the better sides they have met this season.  If the first win can be achieved there is no reason why Malt. should not climb away from the trouble zone if this level of performance can be maintained.

Malton: D. Webster, E. Richardson, I. Cooke, D. Gardner (A. Mitchell 35 mins),R. Davenport, W. McCrone, E. Pang, P.Dobson(B. Boothman 70 mins), N.Salisbury, B. Boothman(A. Turnbull 50 mins), D. Foster, T. Casey, S. Triffitt, G. Dolman(D.Coates 55 mins), R. Webster

A fine but blustery afternoon was the setting for the first of Maltons East Coast derby encounters of the season.  As usual for these games, the attendance was high and the crowd were kept fully entertained as the score board constantly ticked over and the lead changed hands.  To add to the drama, the referee was one of the youngest on the field.  Nineteen years old Durham University student Fergus Kirby, formerly from Gloucestershire, was given the task of controlling this historically feisty derby game and did so extremely well.  Indeed, he gave one of the best displays of the art of refereeing seen at The Gannock for some time and may well go on to much higher  levels.

Malton made first use of the wind and,  making light of the absence of several injured regulars, took the fight to Brid.  When the visitors were penalised for holding onto the ball after a tackle David Webster put Malt into the lead with a well struck penalty goal.  However, this was very quickly cancelled out when Malton commited the same offence and visiting fly half Jamie Muru levelled the scores.  Once again the Malton pack were dominating the set pieces and Duncan Foster was proving a real thorn in the Bridlington line out, stealing a number of throws against the put in.  Bridlington though always looked to have the edge in the backs and it was from the back that they initiated their first try.  From a long clearance kick from Malton fullback Mofekeng Prince set up a counter attack which passed through a number of pairs of hands for centre Hall to score and Muru to convert.

Maltons reply was almost instantaneous.  Firstly, Brid were again penalised for handling in the ruck and Webster goaled the penalty and secondly,  a poor clearance from Brid this time was gathered by Malton and scrum half Edmund Pang hoisted a towering up and under  into unguarded territory in the Brid 22 metre area.  A fortunate bounce into the welcoming arms of Sam Triffitt gave him  a deserved try wide out which Webster converted to move Malton into a three point lead.  Within minutes Brid had equalised when Muru converted a penalty for a high tackle as the half entered injury time.  With seconds remaining Malton were awarded a penalty forty five metres out.  The referee indicated that there was insufficient time left for a kick to touch so Webster elected to go for goal.  His towering kick sailed between the posts and the Malton spirits were high at the break.

Bridlington began the second half poorly.  Conceding penalty after penalty for offences at ruck and maul.  The culmination was a yellow card for obstruction.  None of the offences were within kicking distance and the wind prevented any long touch finding and Brid. escaped further punishment as a result.  In the final quarter the Bridlington backs prospered as the Malton pack tired.  Slick handling and an abundance of pace were too much for Malton to handle and three tries came in the closing minutes to give Brid a deserved win even though the final score was not a fair reflection of the game as a whole.

Triffitt was Maltons outstanding player but he was given a good run by acting captain Duncan Foster.  The half back pairing of Pang and Bill McCrone is developing well, with McCrone having another steady outing and bringing calmness to the backs.  As the injured recover the picture begins to look a little brighter and much of this game will surely have raised the morale of the whole squad.

Malton: D.Webster, A. Daley, E. Richardson, D. Gardner, J. Dempsey(R.Davenport 45mins), W.McCrone, E. Pang, P.Dobson, E.Gwilliam(N.Salisbury 40mins), B.Boothman(A.Turnbull 60mins),D.Foster, T.Casey, D.Coates, G.Dolman, S.Triffitt

Malton may have ended the game clear winners but Bridlington left the field with their heads held high for true third team sportsmanship and played their full part in a most entertaining game which had a half time score of just 17-15 to Malton.

Brid’ with no front row and just 13 players made the inland journey to Malton and Malt had no hesitation in giving them 2 players and for the first half Sam Shelley and John Ordidge played in in blue both causing Malt immense problems and doing their best for the Brid’ cause. From the kick off Brid’took the ball and their number 7 shook off the Malt’ defence from his own half to the malt’22 before Ed Senior made the telling tackle.

Brid’may well have been the first to score with their elusive fly half scythed his way through Malt just like a Welsh 10 of the 70’s and before the end of the  first half he did the same for 2 superb tries.

Malt rallied, urged on by Hooker Steve Piercy,and soon had a penalty in the Brid’22 a tap penalty was taken on by Jody Stead ,of match day sponsors AJ Stead and Son ,whose steely run was finally halted by 5 Brid'men(which infact included 2 Malt men).A further penalty 5 yards out was taken by Lyon who unselfishly fed Paul Walker who put Birthday Boy Lawrence Keyworth clean through for the first of his hat trick.In an enthralling first half Malt were keen to spread the ball out wide to their speedy wingers, Tim Ampleforth and Tom Barratt with centres Tristan Lee and Keyworth forming a lively pairing bagging 7 tries between them,all thanks to the hard work of the forwards who had to be on top form against a solid Brid’pack.

Malt held a slender 2 point half time lead and made further changes with Shelley and Ordidge back in Malton colours being replaced by Tom Barratt ,Steve Butler and Tony Watson for Brid’.Duncan Humphrays ,Steve Heselwood,veteran prop Seymour Butts took  took over from Chris Wilson ,Angus Angus Tristan Bean.Bean and Angus both having made telling contributions in the back row with Angus snaffling any loose ball ,as an openside should do and Bean active joining the back line and instrumental in many moves.

In the second half with speedster Tim Ampleforth at scrum half Malt’ and Paul Walker  calling the shots at 10 Malt attacked at every opportunity and it was their close support play that impressed most with  some fine offloads in the tackle.Lee made 4 tries and Steve Piercy one with a fine supporting run down the wing.

Brid’ made every effort to counter and put on some fine moves and their break though came when Tom  Barratt having earlier scored two for Malton added a third for Brid, with a trademark run down the line.With 20 minutes to go Rob Hopkinson made his seasons debut before Bean came back on for James Whincup.Harry Wilson had a full game and his support play improves with every game and very nearly got on the score sheet following a Piercy break.

A big thanks go to Bridlington for making this a fine game with the 10 the pick of their backs and their 7 the pick of their forwards demonstrating that whatever the score you don’t give up with some superb driving runs at Malton.Thanks to the ref for allowing the game to flow;thanks to the crowd some of whom left watching the firsts to see the thirds and finally to Pat Stephenson who came back to earth from last week’s brace by running touch on the far side.Stevo is looking for a large picture frame for his enlarged copy of last weeks match report.

For the statisticians if all 3 senior results on Saturday are added up Malton scored a total  of 94 points to Bridlington’s 75. 
 
TEAM

E.Senior;T Barratt;T Lee;L Keyworth;T.Ampleforth;P Walker;M Lyon;J Whincup;S Piercy;T Watson;J Stead;H Wilson;T Bean;A Angus;C Wilson

SUBS ALL PLAYED

S Hazelwood;SButts;J Ordidge;S Shelley;R Hopkinson;S Butler 

Malton bowed out of the EDF Senior Vase at the 2nd round stage.  The margin of victory may have flattered the visitors but Malt can have few complaints.  It is no longer enough to dominate possession with a powerful pack  if that possession cannot be transferred into points.  At the very first scrummage of the game Sheffield were embarrassingly driven backwards by the Malton pack.  This domination of the set piece continued for most of the first half and it was Malton who carved the only clear cut opportunity of the half after thirty minutes.  A good break in mid field by debutant fly half Bill McCrone was carried on across the field and if quick ball, from the ruck created on the Sheffield line, had been forthcoming a certain score would have resulted.  As it was, possession was lost and the visitors cleared.  The scores were level at the break and with McCrone settling well into his role and Elliot Richardson, in only his first game in the position,  making a fine fist as makeshift scrum half there was hope that Malt could at last get the elusive victory.

For the first fifteen minutes of the second period there was no reason to think that anything might change.  However, injuries to hooker Ed Gwilliam and centre Steve Mosey closely followed by the departure of skipper Andy Mitchell heralded a mad fifteen minute period in which Sheffield scored four converted and unanswered tries.  Twice Malton failed to deal with innocuous looking kicks and allowed the visitors to gain the initiative. On each occasion the right winger accepted the opportunity with relish. The Malton pack, although still on top, had lost much of their earlier venom and Sheffield were able to bring their more potent back division into the game.  Again the score came from the right wing as Maltons defence fell apart.  The final score came from a ruck on the Malton line when the visiting scrum half forced his way over to end another bleak day for Malton.

Malton: D.Webster, R. Armitage, S. Mosey (D.Gardner), P.Pateman, A.Daley, W. McCrone, E. Richardson, A.Turnbull, E.Gwilliam (N.Salisbury), J.Richards (S.Pease), D.Foster, T.Casey, A. Mitchell (J.Lumley), S. Triffitt, R. Webster

The Thirds team’s fine start to the season continued after last weeks blip with the thirds correcting errors from that match and coming up against a well drilled Ionians outfit. The game was tight from start to finish and played at a frenetic pace well refereed by the improving Richard Pearson.

Malt had subs aplenty and Ionians kindly agreed to rolling changes which were much needed in the sunshine. Ionians had a big pack and Malt competed magnificently with the ever improving Martin Watson in the front row with Adam Wright and Hooker Steve Piercy whose line out throwing was spot on easily finding his main jumpers Rob Hicks and Jody Stead. Harry Wilson put in a solid performance in the second row playing a full game. Pick of the forwards was Tristan Bean in the back row who joined the backs whenever possible making valuable yards to allow the half backs Lyon and Ronnie Alexander (Yes Lyon and Alexander) to set the backs running with Tristan Lee in the centre getting the man of the match and his side kick Dave Cash getting the first try bursting through the Ionians defence after a superb Lee break. Alexander was in full control finding gaps in Ionians back line to release his young charges and just after Ionians scored their first try to go 7-5 down Tom Barrett was let loose to run from his own 22 after Alexander drew 3 men to create the space. Eddie Rounthwaite had a go at Full Back and looked accomplished and secure, always willing to run at Ionians ably assisted by Ed Senior on the wing who had the first half kicking duties and put in some fine drop outs. Chris Wilson led the pack to good effect and could have scored a couple (so he said after the game) if he had received the ball.

Charlie Richardson made his seasons bow looking sharp with some fine defensive work particularly a double tackle after his earlier mistake. he was clean through and over the line when he caught the ball on his knee and failed to score (commonly in Third team ranks known as a Pears),an ailment he may well have caught from Geoff Pears who did the same on numerous occasions a couple of seasons ago. Pears was watching and came on for the final 10 minutes after a bout of manfluenza.

Rounthwaite went to scrum half at half time, with Neil Gilbertson taking over at Full Back, and was soon jinking around and with a try becoming unselfishly passed to Steve Heselwood in support for what proved to be a key try to put Malton further ahead. Ionians hit back and the game was as close as ever. Steve Piercy rallied his troops and soon burst through for a fine try. Malt were able to make more changes with Mikey Casey and Joe Raw joining the back row and putting in some telling tackles with Raw looking good in the loose play winning some good ball. Jake Wright came onto the wing and enjoyed some useful runs. With 10 minutes to go Scott Kneeshaw came on the wing and was straight into action cleaning up a loose ball to help Alexander hoof the ball out of play to keep Ionians at arms length.

This was a fine game and the thirds had to dig deep and deserved the win after all the good work and team spirit. 

TEAM

E Rounthwaite; E Senior; D Cash; T Lee;T Barrett; R Alexander;M Lyon; C Wilson ;T Bean;J Stead;R Hicks;H Wilson ;M Watson;S Piercy;A Wright

Subs all played;N Gilbertson;S Kneeshaw;S Heselwood; J Wright J ;JRaw;G Pears;C Richardson:M Casey;A Watson ; 

Following last weeks humiliation at York any hopes home supporters had of witnessing a revival were dashed in the opening five minutes.  Heath won their own ball at a line out and quickly transferred the ball to the threequarters. 

Quick hands and strong running created the opening needed for the right wing to score in the corner.  The Malton pack were a match for the visitors in all aspects of that particular discipline but defensively Malton had no answer to a well organised Heath outfit.  The second try came on ten minutes from a defensive blunder when a speculative and innocuous hack forward was poorly dealt with and the following player was allowed to pick up and cross close to the posts.  Maltons pack then took control for a short period and won a penalty when Heath held onto the ball after a tackle.  Ian Cooke put Malts. first points on the board and put hope into Malton hearts.  However, ten minutes later Heath resumed normal service.  A shortened line out produced quick ball.  Again Maltons mid-field defence was shredded as Heath poured forward.  A last ditch tackle stopped the initial runner but he had the awareness of mind to offload to a following player who crossed under the posts.  With confidence slipping away from Malton two further defensive errors allowed heath to add two further scores to make the half time score 33 – 3 in Heaths favour. 

The second half began in much the same fashion as the first with Heath seizing upon another Malton mistake to cross in the first minute.  A second came after the quarter hour mark from another overlap before the Malton pack got their reward for  their afternoons efforts.  Paul Dobson, who played the entire game suffering from the effects of an Egyptian holiday, led the charge with some driving runs and controlled aggression which came to fruition when he was driven across the line to get his sides only try.  However in the closing minutes Heath again took advantage of some woeful tackling to bring up the fifty points and round off another miserable day for Malton. 

The Malton forwards are a match for any pack in the league and scrum half Rupert Davenport is quickly establishing himself at the base.  However, some skill and aggression must be found elsewhere if Malton are to have any hopes of climbing away from relegation.  Sadly, the one player who can turn a match, Ian Cooke, was forced to leave this encounter early with a fractured nose and the everyone connected with the club must hope that he makes a rapid recovery. 

Malton: M. Williams, E. Richardson, I. Cooke(M. Cliff 65mins), S. Mosey, L.Cowton, D. Webster, R. Davenport, E. Gwilliam(J. Richards 60mins), N. Salisbury, P. Dobson, D. Foster, D. Coates(T. Casey 70 mins), S. Triffitt, A. Mitchell, R. Webster.  

On a glorious September afternoon Malt welcomed Skipton to a manicured Gannock. The Malt faithful were eager to see the first Yorkshire One fixture. The large crowd were expecting to see a spectacle and with the new experimental laws a fast flowing game. Unfortunately to have a fast flowing game both sides need to be able to catch and pass! This certainly was not evident in the error strewn first quarter as both teams failed to produce any clear cut chances.

As the crowd werebegining to wonder if the deadlock would be broken a moment of quality shone in the gloom. Two-thirds of the way through the first half Phil Pateman sold the Skipton defence an outrageous dummy to scurry over in the corner for the first try. But, both Green and Ray, the Skipton wingers, looked dangerous when the ball eventually made its way out to the flanks. Skipton got there just rewards in the 38th minute when Green crossed the white wash for a deserved score. Skipper Oldfield slotted the conversion to see Skipton lead at half time 7-5.

In the first half there were only a few missed tackles on either side but Malt soon changed this.  Within 10 minutes of the restart, and numerous missed tackles Skipton had scored two good tries on the 47th and 49th minute from Ray the dangerous winger. Oldfield duly obliged with both conversions and it was 21-5 to Skipton. Malt then conceded a needless penalty which Oldfield converted to extend the Skipton lead to 24-5. At this point Malt started to rally and they looked more dangerous. A line out deep in the Skipton half led to a Malton score when Triffit crashed over after good work by Muscroft. Once again the conversion was missed but the gap had closed to 24-10. Malton rang the changes in the backs and brought on Martin for Webster and in the forwards Casey for Coates. Once again deep in the Skipton 22 Malt looked certain to make pressure tell ,when a high tackle by Skipton’s Riches stopped what looked like a certain score leading to a yellow for Riches. Malton took immediate advantage and Boothman crossed the line on the 67th minute and with Williams adding the conversion 24-17 made it game on. To Skiptons credit the 14 men were able to Hold Malt comfortably but when Casey was sin binned with two minutes to go it was game over.

However, the Skipton supporters had expected a walk over and that they certainly did not get that. Malton were the younger and less experienced but they did not give up on the task. They were relentless in trying to hold the Skipton pack back, which included at least three experienced Southern hemisphere players. Malton proved to themselves that they could match one of the better teams in the league and if they keep developing like this as a squad wins are sure to come.

Thanks must also go to  Mr D’Chuna for his excellent refereeing

Team: Richardson, Cooke, Cowton,Pateman, Webster, Davenport, Boothman, Muscroft, Richards, Foster,  Webster (Martin on 57th), Coates (Casey 61st), Mitchell, Triffit,