Malton and Norton RUFC

A  TALE  OF  TWO  HALVES.

James Knock

With no game last week Malton pitched up at Durham refreshed with a strong pack and a couple of changes in the backs with a couple of 2nd team players earning their chance to impress.
However the rest seemed to have induced a state of lethargy in the forwards during the first half and it was the Durham pack that took the fight to Malton. Apart from the point scoring visits to the red zones most of the play was centred in the 20 metres either side of the half way line. A feature of the opening salvos was a constant time wasting demand to reset the scrums, which interrupted any flow to proceedings.
Malton opened the scoring on 5 minutes with a well struck penalty from Bulmer 30 metres out. (2.34)
Three minutes later Durham replied with 3 points courtesy of their no9.
On 19 minutes following a penalty line out and a loose scrum two phases later the Durham 11 walked over via an unguarded blind side to lead 10-3. (8.50)
Play again centred around mid pitch and it was on 30 minutes that Malton paid a visit to the Durham red zone and opting for a scrum penalty the link from no8 to the half backs worked it’s magic for no10 Hoggard to dart over and claim a 7 pointer and leave the first half of proceedings balanced at 10 apiece. (13.30)

Whatever was said in the privacy of mid pitch had the desired effect and Malton’s approach was immediately intensified with the result that most of the second half was played at Durham’s end of the field.
Pressure soon yielded a penalty and a team yellow against Durham. Skipper Triffitt sent for the kicking tee and Bulmer duly obliged on 47 minutes. (24)
Again more time wasting from reset scrums, a scourge of modern rugby, interrupted the flow of play and despite plenty of possession and territory, lack of penetration in midfield resulted in a 20 minute period of stale mate. Even the efforts of Foan on the crash ball were repelled by the strong Durham defence.
Malton visited the Durham red zone on several occasions without result but on 60 minutes following a second yellow against the home side and a scrum penalty thought they had scored a try from a Triffitt pick up and crash over after a hefty shove from the pack which was adjudged to have been held up. (31.30)
Malton rang the changes and introduced Read and Finlinson with Rounthwaite and Wood giving way. Keeping up the intensity Malton eventually earned their reward when Head broke through from 10 metres out to earn a seven pointer but even with 10 minutes on the clock 2 more tries and an extra bonus pint seemed a distant prospect. (33.10)

Malton rolled the dice on 75 minutes introducing Emms into the engine room for Dunn but it was possibly a gesture made too late in the day as the final whistle ended the contest with Durham disappointed not to have earned a losing bonus point.

On Friday evening a young man who has played a few times for the club at fifteens and sevens and whose younger brother has played recently in the first team earned his first appearance in the premiership  for Newcastle Falcons coming off the bench at The Stoop. Congratulations to Freddie Lockwood.

Next week we entertain Consett at home and with this in mind I should mention the splendid effort made by Durham City whose entry fee to the ground was collected in a blue and yellow bucket and over five hundred pounds was raised for the people of the Ukraine.

Malton:  James Bulmer,  Joshua Weatherill,  William Bell,  Tom Foan,  James Wood,  Tom Hoggard,  Paul Angus,  Nick Salisbury,  Bailey Lamb,  John Lumley,  Will Dunn,  Jamie Rounthwaite,  Jacob Head,  Tom Lowry,  Sam Triffitt (c).

Subs:  Charlie Read,  Sean Emms,  Adam Finlayson,  (all used).

Scorers:   Hoggard  1 try
                  Head   1 try
                  Bulmer   2 cons,  2 pens.