In this final foray of the season Malton U9’s faced a well drilled Pocklington side.  The first game proved to be an even, if damp, tie with sustained pressure at both ends of the pitch.  Henry Hudson and Elliot Hockenhull made some great tackles ensuring the score was 0-0 at half time.  Quick play by Pock ensured their victory by sneaking a forward unnoticed out of the ruck and later on by passing out to create space and score whilst Malton regrouped.  A brave James Walker sporting an impressive head bandage returned to the attack following a crushing tackle by one of the Pock forwards on the line.

Another quick break saw the opposition open their account early in the second match.  Some excellent driving by man of the match Charlie Corner, well supported by Jamie Knaggs, created more opportunities for Malton who drove forward when they could.  Despite Henry Wainwright, Jonnie Bayes and Owen Hayhurst tackling like men possessed, tired legs brought on by a long, hard season were unable to keep Pock, quick out of the blocks as ever, from scoring a second try before the turn around.  Capitalising on ground from a five yard penalty Tom Pycock forced his way over the line to score a consolation try before the whistle.   

Malton & Norton v Barbarians 11 – 0
Malton & Norton v Hull Ionians 3 – 0
Malton & Norton v Driffield Bears 3 – 0
Malton & Norton v Sandal 0 – 4


No doubt spurred on by this week’s ‘rain free’ conditions, the Malton and Norton U9 squad were determined to prove themselves against a bevy of competition at local Wolds host Driffield’s end of season Minis Festival.

An all players Barbarians side taken from across the pool, replaced non showing Scunthorpe in their first tie and provided a show case for the team’s talent. Benedict Fawcett was selfless in his passing to expertly set up at least half of Malt’s tries. Jake Newsome and Henry Hudson made a classic full length runs of the pitch to score and William Fordy and Tom Pycock twisted and turned evading the opposition at every turn. Try scorers were Hayhurst (2), Knaggs, Pycock, Fordy, Walker, Nordli, Hudson, Newsome, Corner & Bayes.

Hull Ionians were taken by surprise shortly after the whistle as Owen Hayhurst powered over the try line to increase his scoring tally yet again. James Walker ran in two more before half time after yet more excellent passing by Ben Fawcett. Malton kept the pressure up in the second half and kept a clean sheet in this second fixture thanks to some impressive tackling by Eliot Hockenhull.

The final pool match against hosts Driffield Bears was another display of pressured play by Malton. James Walker coolly ripping the ball on the line to score that all important opener just before the break. Fired up by the rousing half time team talk Hayhurst drove through a pile of blue and white shirts to make it 2 – 0. In spite of Pycock and Hockenhull’s valiant efforts to reach the line it was Jamie Knaggs who broke free, cutting a menacing figure in his dash across the field for the Driffield corner flag and ensuring Malton’s place in the final having topped their pool with maximum points!

Against a back drop of almost horizontal tents and dangerously flapping gazebos this final showdown against the old foe was always going to be a hard fought, tough affair.
The first half was characterised by some strong central play with neither side seizing the advantage. Sandal were being kept in check. However it only took a couple of unsuccessful tackles for the Sandal wingers to slip through and score - the third of which snuck in on the half time whistle. Never letting their heads drop Malton continued to defend in the second half. Charlie Corner delighting the crowd with a superb try scoring tackle. Sandal proved to be the physically stronger side on the afternoon, winners of the group in a fixture where the result belied the closeness of the game.

A fantastic effort by the whole squad – well done! It’s a pleasure to watch a team who enjoy themselves both on and off the pitch and reap the rewards of such camaraderie.

A special mention must go to all the Malton boys who were happy to play for the Barbarians during the day – notable contributions from Henry Wheeler, Toby Wrightson and Harry Butler. Thanks lads.

Squad : Sam Megginson, Paul Angus, Eddie Wilson, Eddie Barnes, Guy Welch, Joe Leak, John Gregory, Tim Grey, Conar Ramsey, Jake Taylor, James Fawcett, Doug Bentley, Alex Eyre, Mike McCourt, Will Dunn, Joshua Eldridge Smith, Tom Rimmer, Zak Jagger, Josh Pearson, Oliver Williams, Derry Parke, Max Wright, Jack McLeod. 

York U12’s 0  Malton U12’s 26 (Grey 2, Taylor, Welch) 
Ripon U12,s 5 Malton 19 (Wright, Angus, Grey) 
Sandal 17 Malton 14 (Taylor 2)

After dispatching York and Ripon in the previous matches Malton found themselves having to beat Sandal to reach the final. Sandal, full of confidence, came out of the traps first and tore into Malton who eventually buckled under intense pressure to concede 2 early tries. Malton rallied and forced Sandal back with great driving from Zak Jagger and Mike McCourt, Max Wright and Guy Welch supporting well to keep possession. A stray pass let in Sandal again, however, and they scored again. Credit to Malton though as they hit back in style, a forage from Tim Grey and Eddie Barnes down the centre, great driving over from Zak Jagger allowed James Fawcett to spray the ball to Jake Taylor who shrugged off an attempted tackle to touch over with half time looming. Alex Eyre converted.

The second half saw a hugely improved Malton dominate play, and with a little more luck they might have pulled this one out of the fire. Doug Bentley and Paul Angus continued to tackle and drive forward, Eddie Wilson and Max Wright snuffed out any Sandal advances with scything tackles when needed. Jake Taylor did score a late try after heavy Malton pressure but time ran out for them and they were left pondering on what might have been. 

Scunthorpe 5 Malton 7 (Taylor) 

The Marauders did end the day on a high as they secured victory in the plate final for a creditable third place. Competition debutants Derry Parke and Tom Rimmer made excellent contributions in the first half, and Jo Leak was adjudged to have put his foot into touch whilst making another of his blistering runs when poised to score. Malton had the wind in their faces for this first period but exerted lots of pressure on a big Scunthorpe side, but Malton should have gone in at the break at least a try ahead. In the second half Malton upped the tempo, and when a penalty was awarded to them 10 meters out Jake Taylor managed to barge through the defensive wall to touch over. Alex Eyre converted, which was a very significant score. Scunthorpe rallied, realising the silverware was slipping away, and after good pressure managed to score in the corner. The conversion was missed however, and Malton eked out the remainder of the game deep in Scunthorpe territory to secure a much-deserved victory.

The players, coaches and parents enjoyed a meal afterwards to mark a successful day for this battling team.

Another solid performance from the marauders earned them a creditable draw against Goole in an entertaining encounter. Unlike previous matches Malton started the brighter and some superb tackling, rucking and mauling pushed their opponents right back to their line. An unfortunate error however cost possession and the lucky Goole winger sprinted away to touch over. Undeterred by this Malton stuck at their game and with great teamwork they rattled in 3 tries of their own (Guy Welch, Jack Young, Paul Angus), all converted by steady Eddie Wilson. Malton made wholesale changes at halftime from their big squad , and they held their own against experienced opposition, Tom Rimmer scoring his first try for the club after terrific work from Jack McLeod, Eddie Barnes and Tim Grey. Derry Parke made a superb try saving tackle when backs were against the wall, and John Gregory together with Conor Ramsey held their ground with great mauling against bigger opponents. Old heads such as Max Wright and Will Dunn showed their experience when called upon, and Guy Welch was back to his best with some great powerful running.

Things are looking good for this team, and with 23 players turning out this should ensure competition for places next season when 15 will be on the field.

A very entertaining game saw the Marauders stun the home side with a late display to snatch a deserved victory. Malton started brightly and showed intent with some fierce tackling and rucking. The opportunistic Jack Young tried his luck with a sweeping run early on and eluded several tackles to touch over for the first score. Harrogate hit back and had Ollie Williams and Guy Welch at full stretch before they crept in the corner to score and then convert.

The game turned into a rucking and mauling affair with plenty of turnover ball for both sides. Malton’s pack of Zak Jagger, Josh Pearson and Joshua Eldridge-Smith made several good drives with no reward, and Will Dunn had another excellent game with persistent tackling and strong drives to test the Harrogate defence. James Fawcett supplied plenty of ball for Paul Angus, Eddie Barnes and Co. to pass the ball across the park but again, no score. Harrogate regained the initiative before half time and scored again after a fumble under pressure from a Malton forward, again converted. The second half saw Malton attack Harrogate with drive after drive, and when Jack Young played in Joe Leak he hared down the wing, defenders in his wake, to score an excellent try. Eddie Wilson converted.

Harrogate hit back immediately and racked up another 7 points to secure a comfortable lead with the clock ticking, but this spurred Malton into action and they gave a demonstration of their forward power. A superb drive from the pack had Harrogate creaking and with good support play Malton recycled the ball time after time to force them back. Another good ruck from Malton released the ball to Jake Taylor who charged at speed to crash over. Eddie Wilson converted. With time running out Malton kept up the pressure and even after a clear grounding of the ball was not given, they regrouped and launched the final attack of the game with another quality drive. Tim Grey, despite his bloody nose, took the ball into Harrogate yet again with instant support from Jagger and Pearson, James Fawcett spread play to his left where Alex Eyre played in Jake Taylor who forced over the winner, again converted.

The final whistle heralded a big cheer from the Malton team as this was their first victory against Harrogate in a long time, and the manner in which the team refused to be beaten will delight the Marauders coaches.

Malton arrived for four games against a strong York side, missing several key players. In match 1 York showed their determination to avenge the recent defeat at Malton and deservedly beat a shell shocked Malton by 30-0. Malton defended stoutly, with the whole team putting in good tackles but eventually the constant pressure told and a mixture of bad luck and some fine play from York saw Malton tired and beaten at the end.

Malton however are made of strong stuff and rose phoenix like for match 2. An early break by Isaac Turnbull raised moral and Thomas Nesfield and Alastair Stent responded with some thundering tackles. It was no surprise when James Wood weaved his way over to give Malton the lead. Malton kept up the pressure, but were unlucky to lose the ball with the line in sight and even more unlucky to see York pick up the loose ball and run the length of the field to equalise, despite a fine tackle from Daniel Ingham who just failed to prevent the score. Malton were undeterred and some fine work in the loose from Wood kept the backs supplied with ball. Alex Taylor and Murray Smith made fine breaks as Malton pushed hard. Eventually, James Wood forced his way over from a penalty to make it 10-5. Jack Lear and Alfie Slack combined well to threaten a third try, but were stopped just short. York threatened a revival, but Malton’s defence held firm to ensure a win.

Game 3 saw Malton’s customary blip in form. York were quickly into their stride and despite great efforts from Jonathon Read and Isaac Turnbull, Malton were quickly two scores down. This had become four by half time, when Malton were further hampered by the loss of tackle king Angus Illingworth to a head injury. The second half saw a much improved display with Scott Buskin impressive up front and the terrier like Todd Barran trying to force Malton back into the match. York were only able to score in the first and last seconds of the half, making the final score 30-0

Game 4 saw Malton rise again, like Evel Knieval from his hospital bed, to clinch a creditable series draw. Malton started well, when a good pass from Jonathan Read released James Wood to open the scoring. With Isaac Turnbull and Jack Lear tackling well Malton were on top and a fine passage of play saw Read, Hugh Buchanan and callum Young set up a good position. Murray Smith picked up the loose ball at the breakdown and fooled everyone (including his own team mates and coaches) with a fabulous blind side break which saw him romp in unopposed. Soon after half time, Alex Taylor made it three with a stunning solo try. With Buchanan and Young seemingly controlling things Malton’s vociferous travelling support settled back to watch the points stack up. Unfortunately York had other ideas and forced a tiring Malton side back, scoring twice, however stirring defence from James Wood and Thomas Nesfield saw Malton home by 15-10

Man of the day was Murray Smith for his blind side try and the “pants” award went to Alfie Slack for forgetting his shorts.

Malton & Norton U12’s 14  Hull Ionians 5 

Malton got themselves back on track after a back to basics display of tackling, passing and marauding. Straight from the off Malt put Ionians on the back foot and pressed hard with driving runs from Paul Angus and Guy Welch, and good support play to retain possession from the Forwards. After inching their way down the left flank, the ball broke to Alex Ayre who fed Max Wright to swerve between defenders for the opening try. Eddie Wilson converted. Zak Jagger led the forwards charge and earned a penalty 10 metres from the Ionians try line and this led to a quick pass and a powerful drive over from Jake Taylor to add number 2. Alex Ayre converted. In the second half a much-changed Malton side contained the Ionians threat well but were under immense pressure from a relentless attack. Douglas Bentley and James Fawcett demonstrated how to tackle with great effect but Ionians picked up a loose ball and they went over. This proved to be the last score of the game but Malton regrouped and stuck at their task of marauding and contained Ionians to the final whistle. 

Malton U12’s 12  Whitby 7 

In this second game Malton again started brightly and soon put the visitors under pressure. Paul Angus had arguably his best game yet and was a constant threat with his darting runs, which led to his first, try, cutting between defenders and sprinting away to touch over. Malt continued to press with Tim Grey and Will Dunn gaining valuable ground with surging runs whilst the forwards supported well and retained possession. No surprise then when Mike McCourt played in Eddie Barnes who surged forward, slipped a smart pass to the advancing Max Wright who ran into space to score. Eddie Wilson converted. Whitby hit back and only some strong tackling from Malton, Max Wright and Doug Bentley in particular , kept them at bay. Another change in personnel at half time, and despite Whitby scoring and converting, the likes of Joe Leak, Jon Gregory and Conor Ramsey stood firm in the middle and Eddie Wilson impressed with some intelligent kicking to relieve the pressure. All in all a very satisfactory day for Malton.

The first quarter saw Darlington on top. They were able to maintain pressure on the Malton line, despite the front three of Gareth Skelton, George Metcalfe and Ollie Lee scrum aging well against larger boys. Sterling defensive work from Isaac Turnbull, Alex Taylor and Freddie Greswold could not prevent Darlington scoring twice

The second quarter saw Darlington extend their lead, but good work from Hamish Evans, Thomas Nesfield, Matty Wilson and Hugh Buchanan dragged Malton back into the game. Eventually, Matty got hands to their scrum half, forcing a weak pass, which Daniel Ingham intercepted for Malt’s first try.

The third quarter saw Malton’s resurrection continue. They were now winning ball all over the field. A rampant George Metcalfe run, set up Isaac Turnbull , who crashed over from close range. Gareth then ran the length of the field, before putting a toe in touch as he touched down. However Malt soon won turnover ball at a scrum for James Wood to equalise. Jack Lear’s fine tackle forced a now ragged Darlington to concede a penalty, from which powerhouse Gareth Skelton broke free to give Malt the lead. Almost immediately, James Wood  raced clear to dive swallow-like over the line, then  a big hit from Gareth enabled fellow forward Scott Buskin to gather the loose ball and race in for Malt’s final try.

The final quarter saw Darlington recover their composure, but fine work from Alfie Slack, Callum Young, Alastair Stent and Harry Holt saw off any danger until the final seconds when Darlington scored a consolation. Malton’s man of the day was Gareth Skelton.

Malton’s rain soddened and weary warriors had to go straight into a match against Hessle, with a ball, which was now more like a bar of soap.

Malton started brightly, taking the lead and turning round level at 10 all, thanks to two tries from Hugh Buchanan. However with tiredness taking its toll and some rather high tackles by Hessle, ensuring the local chiropractor should be kept busy this week, Malton lost their discipline and conceded numerous penalties, which enabled Hessle to score two late tries to end Malton’s unbeaten start to the season. Again, every single player gave there all for the cause and had every Hessle indiscretion been penalised, as maltons were, the result may have been different.

Malton’s man of the day was Freddie Greswold for his usual display of fierce tackling.

Malton try scorer Hugh Buchanan 2

Malton’s under 10s travelled to Driffield to face a side that had beaten them on every meeting last season. Atrocious weather made the ball difficult to handle, which further impeded Malton’s cause.

A game of committed forward play then, with any ball released to the backs often going to ground. Malton fought hard throughout the team with some strong tackles and fierce rucking and mauling ensuring that the first half ended scoreless.
Malton gradually gained the upper hand in the second half and it was no surprise when they finally broke through to take the lead with a James Wood try. However they were to be denied a deserved victory over the auld enemy, by an interception try in the very last second of the game. Every single Malton player deserved special praise for a determined performance, which deserved a victory. 

Malton try scorer: James Wood

Malton again dominated the first half, scoring four tries to nil. Big tackles were again the key to dominating possession, with Greswold almost cutting one unfortunate opponent in half. This enabled Malton’s backs to spread their wings with some good organisation and great handling from Daniel Ingham and Matty Wilson

The second half saw Malton continue to dominate and play some fine running rugby. Alex Taylor put in some good work to keep his team supplied with ball. The game ended in a fitting way with a fabulous break from Malton’s man of the day Callum Young, who unfortunately dropped the ball as he tried to touch down.

Malton arrived at Ripon for two games with a much-depleted squad, which included no forwards! Key to this impressive success then, was the insemination of new ideas throughout the team, who all played full matches as numbers didn’t allow for substitutes.

Malton were able to monopolise possession in the first half and ran in four tries. This was largely due to some great tackling by the backs, with Freddie Greswold, Alastair Stent and Matty Wilson outstanding and strong forward play by pocket powerhouse Callum Young and Isaac Turnbull.

The home side more keenly contested the second half and Malton often had to defend fiercely. Alfie Slack was able to relieve pressure by running the ball out of defence and both Jack Lear and Hugh Buchanan put in try saving tackles.

Malton try scorers:  Greswold 2, Wilson 2, Taylor 2, Ingham, Slack

Despite a very wet and windy morning both teams put up a spirited display in spite of the weather conditions. Malton tore into Driffield from the off, and a strong run from Jack Young down the left flank took the ball deep into Driffield territory which, after some good support play and a running maul involving most of the Malton forwards, ended with Jack Young touching over. Eddie Wilson converted. From the restart, Malton stormed forward at beleaguered Driffield Who could not stop Max Wright taking a smart pass from James Fawcett and nipping through for number 2. Eddie Wilson again converted. Driffield suggested briefly that they may pose an attacking threat but a brilliant interception from Alex Eyre saw him charge three quarters the length of the field to score, which was again converted. With half time beckoning Paul Angus played in Jack Young who sprinted down the right flank to score again, Eddie Wilson adding extras. Half time 28-0.

In the second half Driffield scored their only try of the game after some slick passing, but Malton took control again with some real quality passing from the backs in slippery conditions, and surging runs from notably   Paul Angus, Tim Grey and Guy Welch to keep the pressure well and truly on. Zak Jagger capped a great performance by ripping the ball and storming through the Driffield defence at speed before being stopped, but the supporting Jake Taylor took the ball and crashed over to score. Michael McCourt then finished off a flowing move involving Doug Bentley, Max Wright and Josh Eldridge Smith, and Paul Angus achieved similar moments later with a quick take and sprint to touch over. All in all, a really encouraging performance from this team who have acquired a number of new players recently and seem to be gelling together nicely. 

Malton & Norton U9 3 v 3 Goole
Malton & Norton U9 2 v 5 Goole

No doubt inspired by their heroes in Saint Denis, the boys delighted the crowd with a great display of determined driving, mauling and tackling to pressure old rivals Goole into a hard fought draw.  Opportunistic runs by Goole ensured an early lead in the second game, but Malt replied with Sackey like brilliance down the wings and grit by the bucket load to keep the scores close in the second half.  An exciting season awaits!

Try scorers were Tom Pycock, Jamie Knaggs, Harry Butler, Joe Nordli, Henry Hudson