MALTON CRASH TO EARTH.
James Knock
After threes wins on the bounce Malton suffered a reality check in the first of three successive home fixtures this month.
With a strong wind blowing from the town end and slightly across from clubhouse to the stand side Malton received the kick off playing towards the football club end. The relieving kick went dead as did the next one and Malton were struggling to exit their own half. The home side spent the first ten minutes penned in their own half starved of ball but weathered the strong Morpeth attacks.
On 11 minutes Stephenson took the ball up to the visitor’s 10 metre zone and it was recycled for Barker to drive over for 7 points.
Malton now with sufficient possession chose to take the chance of putting up high hanging balls in the wind but with the Morpeth backs perfectly positioned these were returned with interest and on 16 minutes the visiting 13 strolled through a porous defence for their opening 7 points.
Two old problems were starting to surface for the home side, first up tackles were lacking and instead of kicking over the defence and making them turn Malton put the ball in the Morpeth bread baskets.
However late in the half from a penalty in their own half Bulmer kicked Malton to the Morpeth corner 10 metres out but the throw in went awry and Malton were back in their own half.
On 35 minutes Stephenson was given a yellow for a high swinging arm. This galvanised Malton and after 3 successive scrums with the Malton pack exerting maximum pressure the ball was fed to Hoggard who dummied and went over close to the posts for 7 points.
14-7 and the same nagging question as last week at half time, was the lead sufficient?
Morpeth on resumption used the wind to position themselves in the Malton half and camped there for 10 minutes earning a penalty which they converted to close the gap to 4 points.
Malton replied 5 minutes later with the visiting front row adjudged to have deliberately collapsed the scrum on the third reset and giving the referee no alternative but to award a penalty try plus a yellow card to a visiting prop. 21-10 and an increase in the points gap gave Malton hope, but not for long.
The chance to take advantage of the extra man was not taken and indeed on 65 minutes with the prop restored a rampant Morpeth closed in on the Malton line and their no6 drove to the line through three ineffectual tackles and his upper body strength saw him twist over the line for a well earned 7 points.
Five minutes later the Morpeth right winger turned the last line of defence inside out and raced to the line for 7 points and a 24-21 lead.
Malton looking shell shocked at this stage could only watch in disbelief as Morpeth went for the jugular and moved up the stand side to set up their big no5 who brushed aside some feeble tackles to score another 7 points and put the game to bed with maximum league points.
To add insult to injury Malton were awarded a penalty 25 metres out and to the left of the sticks with the referee indicating final play, but Bulmer’s recent kicking form deserted him and with the ball hitting an upright the chance of a losing bonus point went begging.
next week Scarborough come to town.
Malton: Ali Fothergill, Jacob Stevenson, Will Bell, James Bulmer, James Wood, Tom Hoggard, Paul Angus, Nick Salisbury, Bailey Lamb, Rob Featherstone, Charlie Read, Jamie Rounthwaite, Tom Lowry, Tom Barker, Sam Triffitt (c).
Scorers: Barker 1 try
Hoggard 1 try
Bulmer 2 cons
Penalty try x 1.
