League season ends with bruising game over in Lancashire.
Rochdale 26 – 17 Malton & Norton RUFC
Rob Featherstone
Our final league outing for this season was the reversal of the opening weekend. Most teams have found traveling over to Rochdale tough and its was no surprise it was a bruising match as they still had an outside chance of automatic promotion.
Malton shy of some regular faces still turned up, not willing to roll over and submit where others might when there’s nothing to play for other than pride. Turning up relative early the three full cars of players our only worries were if Nick Salisbury car would enough electrons left to get home with Feathers, Triff & Jeffers crammed into the back acting as a useful draft on the way there.
Kick off arrived after a focused warm up and it was Malton on the front foot early in the battle, Bulmer comfortable sending his forwards wave after wave in the midfield but Rochdale were quick over the ball and were able to clear their lines. It wasn’t until the 15th minute a line break and offload from Stephenson gave Fothergill an opportunity to gain some yards. The ball was shipped left then reversed back to waiting forwards Triffitt, Wainwright who were able to pick off gaps in the backs the third attempt Dunn found a gap and dived over for a five point lead.
Stout Defence was the order for the next fifteen to twenty minutes Rochdale upped their possession and regularly looking for territory, a Penalty offered a deep kick into our twenty two following line out the ball was spun left before the winger dived over… 7 – 5
Four minutes until half time Rochdale pounced yet on loose clearing kicking, moving the ball through the hands before a hack through, the ball was dribbled to the tryline by the winger who’s starting position was very questionable. Ali Fothergill was determined he wasn’t going to dot it down so took his shirt and gave his best audition for the Ryedale tug of war team, unfortunate for us the ref marched uninterrupted under the posts and in one fell swoop marked the penalty try and flashed and the yellow card with some style.
Half time 14 – 5
Oranges were had & word’s exchanged, Malt now wind in their sails punted long but only for Rochdale to run it back clearly altering their style of play, now playing in to the strong wind kept the ball in hand moving the ball to the flanks as much as possible.
The next 20 minutes were pretty much Rochdale pressing and Malton on the back foot on the fiftieth minute Rochdale were able to break I midfield tackle and sent their winger in to the corner big conversion sent the lead out to 21 – 5.
The next score would be big, unfortunately for us it went in the direction of the Lancastrians, a probing run deep into our territory from a midfield set scrum led to our defence been stretched down the left and within a couple phases the ball was dotted down. 26 – 5
The last fifteen minutes weren’t any less tough with plenty big hits and pointless roughing, Dale’s indiscipline allowed us most of the possession and with ten to go a classic Bulmer shimmy opened a gap for him to dive over and grab our 2nd try. 26 – 10
The last few minutes were all Malt getting held up a couple of times and it wasn’t until the last play the game when a five meter penalty was quickly tapped and a quick transfer was set up for Triffitt to rock and roll out of it for his tenth try of the season. Angus hitting the extra two.
26 – 16
That’s wrapped up the league campaign for 2023/24 we’re sitting fourth but could end up being fifth we’ll have to see the outcome of mud-gate between Goole & Moortown. We now move onto the Papa John community cup next week away at relegated Bridlington. 3pm.
See you at the Bar…..
Team Salisbury, Vasconcelos, Hopkins, Dunn, Read, Wainwright, Lowry, Triffitt ©, Angus, Bulmer, Fothergill, Jones, Stephenson, Upton, Foster. ( Subs all used ) Featherstone, Bell, Jefferson.
Scorers
Dunn 1
Bulmer 1
Triffitt 1
Angus con x1
