Malton and Norton RUFC

HONOURS EVEN AT THE GANNOCK

Despite all that storms Babette and Ciaran could throw at our venue in the last fortnight a good surface coupled with a dryish afternoon and the gloom necessitating floodlights from the off, Malton welcomed their visitors from Leeds. On paper with 3 league places and 7 points the difference this was a day to use home advantage to the full and hopefully close the gap on the leaders. With multiple changes in the starting line-up compared to the starters of a fortnight ago Malton set about their task in convincing style kicking off towards the town.
With Stone and Tenge prominent early pressure led to the first penalty and a regulation conversion by Bulmer on 5 minutes.  3-0
Four minutes later another penalty attempt from 35 metres out just shaved the right hand upright, distance no problem.
With 90% territory and 75% possession in the opening quarter of proceedings another penalty was squeezed out of the opposition and duly converted exactly in the twentieth minute.  6-0
However a worrying factor was the inability to convert the above stats into points despite heavy duty work in the visitor’s red zone and a drive over the line was also adjudged to have been held up.
Against the run of play on 30 minutes Moortown gained a turnover and the combination of a speedy back three coupled with some indifferent defence saw them deliver a try in the corner on the clubhouse side.  6-7
Three minutes later another penalty attempt was a fraction short but amends were made in the 37th minute when an offside decision against the visitors 25 metres out yielded the points to go into the second half with a slender lead.  9-7
One interesting feature of the opening half was the promotion off the bench of Johnson in place of Foster who had arrived at the clubhouse visibly shaken after a journey of just 47 minutes from Teeside airport in the Chairman’s car. The decision was taken to let him recover his composure in the dugout. The first half was enough to warrant some interest in the performance of the stand in fullback.

Moortown now upped their game in the second half and it was their turn to enjoy territory and possession not quite at the same levels as the hosts enjoyed in the opening half but sufficient to test the defences of the home outfit where Johnson proved his mettle by absorbing all that was thrown at him in the way of high balls and displaying his competence in the tackle with the odd foray out of defence ball in hand linking up with his fellow three quarters.
Midway through this half Malton looked to drive the ball up field through the forwards and with the earlier introduction of veteran Gwilliam and the bulk of Leggott adding some ballast progress was made and arriving at the Moortown line the ball was moved smartly left for Johnson to complete a well worked team try and 5 points in the bag.  14-7 in the 63rd minute.
Moortown now started to look dangerous again and in the 67th minute another held up decision went against them.
With Malton now looking tired and with several of their pack reduced to a walking pace the visitors sensed that the game could be there for the taking and earned their reward in the 74th minute to level the score at 14 points apiece.
Game on and with Moortown looking fitter and keener in the closing minutes the whistle came as somewhat of a relief to the home side who had started the game with so much promise and fireworks but ended proceedings rather like a damp squib.
This was a game that in the considered opinions of watching former players with all the territory and possession enjoyed by Malton in the opening half should have taken them out of sight by half time but a nod should go to Moortown who hung in and got 2 deserved points.
Next week we travel to Morley who are one place and one point behind us and with their large pitch fitness and accuracy will be a priority.

Malton: Nick Salisbury, Ryan Donaghy, Ted Hughes, Will Dunn, Charlie Reed, Tom Stone, Tom Lowry, Sam Triffitt (c), Paul Angus, James Bulmer, Jacob Stephenson, Ben Tenge, Will Bell, Javan Upton, Archie Johnson.

Bench:  Ed Gwilliam, Darren Leggott ( both used),
              Blair Foster ( not used).

Scorers:  Bulmer     3 pens
                 Johnson   1 try