MALTON BACK IN THE GROOVE
James Knock
After the disappointment of last week Malton were Phoenix like in their response and fully earned all the praise and plaudits from a large crowd who witnessed the club’s senior team leading the way with 3 teams victorious over our seaside visitors this weekend.
Playing towards the football end in damp breezy conditions Malton received the kick off and at the first scrum the pack stamped their authority by shoving the visiting eight a couple of metres in reverse gaining a penalty. From the ensuing line out Triffitt trucked up field and another penalty was garnered for an easy opening 3 points on 5 minutes.
Now it was Scarborough’s turn and winning the ball at the kick off, a clever through kick from their wily no10 turned the defending Angus who scrambled the ball to touch. From the line out the visitors moved the ball left and putting the ball through several pairs of hands found the supporting big no5 who strode over for 7 points on 7 minutes.
Malton’s discipline deserted them briefly at this stage and three penalties were coughed up in the space of five minutes the third of which put Scarborough eight metres out and good recycling by the visitors saw the other 2nd row emulate his partner for 5 points only in the fourteenth minute.
Three minutes later Foan left two visiting defenders clutching thin air as he drove up the middle and Scarborough off their feet gave up a penalty and 3 more points to make it 12-6.
Three minutes later 2 yellow cards were doled out one for each team.
Malton now with the bit between the teeth together with light rain starting to fall and the surface cutting up turned to their forwards who asserted their growing dominance and following a perfect penalty touch finder from Bulmer camped on the Scarborough line. The ball sailed over the line out tail and Scarborough knocked it on and from the subsequent loose advantage Triffitt peeled off and over in his inimitable style for 7 points and the lead on 27 minutes.
Following a break by Bell Malton were once again in the opposition red zone and having called on Featherstone who had been lurking in the dugout keeping the bench warm to replace Lumley they shoved Scarborough several metres off the ball for skipper Triffitt to fall on the ball at the base to claim his brace and 7 points to lead 20- 12 at the interval.
Now playing into the wind Malton at first put some of the possession high in the air to gauge the strength of the wind which the visitors happily accepted and their fly half drove it 40 metres down the pitch into touch. On 47 minutes Malton’s hooker was shown a yellow card for an offence committed in the murky underworld of the front row.
On 55 minutes Malton lost their fly half to injury and re jigged the back division with Bulmer at 10 and Lockwood slotting into the midfield. At the same time the visitors lost a man to the dugout courtesy of another yellow card.
The weather was now having an effect on proceedings with the ball becoming increasingly slippery and the wind was increasing such that the visiting 10 pushed two long kicks into the dead zone out of play.
With the state of the pitch also having a levelling effect on play a period of stalemate was ended on 66 minutes when the two visiting midfielders both went for a high ball and the subsequent knock on went to the feet of Stephenson who adroitly hacked and dribbled his way to the line for 5 points only.
Just prior to this Barker had replaced the hard working Emms and thus an opportunity for the youngster to gain more valuable experience.
On 75 minutes another spilled ball by Scarborough went to a foot race won by Lockwood for another 5 points only to seal the game and maximum points to the hosts.
Scarborough however had the last word when with Foan in the sin bin they scored using the extra man giving their no5 his brace and 7 points with the final score 30-19.
Malton can take great heart from this win with the forwards fronting up and showing that they are at minimum the equal of all other forward eights in this league. With a little bit of fine tuning in the discipline department the squad can now look forward to next week and the visit of Old Brodleians at whose ground they effected a second half comeback in late October which at the time gave the coach Crockett and his team much heart and apart from the odd relapse the squad have lived up to expectations.
Malton: Ali Fothergill, Jacob Stevenson, Tom Foan, James Bulmer, Will Bell, Tom Hoggard, Paul Angus, Nick Salisbury, John Vasconcelos, John Lumley, Will Dunn. Sean Emms, Jamie Rounthwaite, Tom Lowry, Sam Triffitt (c).
Subs: Rob Featherstone, Tom Barker, Ed Lockwood, (all used).
Scorers: Triffitt 2 tries
Stephenson 1 try
Lockwood 1 try
Bulmer 2 pens, 2 cons.
