MALTON DIG DEEP FOR FIVE LEAGUE POINTS
Fortunately the heavy drizzle relented as the 2.00pm kick off approached and this correspondent took his place in the roofless visitors’ dugout which did not match the home one!
With Jamie Rounthwaite making his 200th 1st team appearance in the Malton colours the team set off at the gallop and in the second minute set up a penalty shot for Poole who contending with the slippery and heavy underfoot conditions just missed the uprights.
Three minutes later after several muscular attempts from the home pack on the Malton line following two penalty awards a very astute chip and chase by the home no10 landed perfectly for him 5 metres over the whitewash as Malton watched somewhat bemused as he followed up to collect the seven points. 0-7
In the ninth minute with Malton at the business end and switching quality ball left and right several times they fed the powerful and elusive Tenge who muscled his way over in the corner. 5-7
Five minutes later and Malton now with their tails up and pressuring at scrum time skipper Triffitt asked Poole to put a penalty award in the corner. Duly delivered the ensuing catch and drive yielded 5 more points with Triffitt the beneficiary. 10-7
In the 25th minute following a line out in the home half good recycling and interplay between Tenge and Stephenson set Foster free to run in unopposed to the right of the sticks and with Poole still finding the underfoot conditions somewhat testing the conversion attempt hit the post. 15-7
In the 32nd minute Foster was served with a yellow card for a poorly timed shoulder barge which proved costly as Moortown used the extra man to cross the Malton line one minute later. 15-14
On minute 37 Poole made no mistake from 30 metres out in front of the Moortown posts to stroke over 3 points. 18-14
Up to this point Malton had enjoyed 70% of both possession and territory but yet another penalty given up was put into the corner and a line out catch and drive was trundled over. 18-21
All three of the home tries had resulted directly from penalties given up on Moortown’s infrequent visits to the Malton half of the pitch.
The kick off by Moortown was well taken by Tenge and fed to Poole who gained a solid touch on the home 30 metre line. They took their own line out cleanly and swiftly transferred to the right for the smallest man on the pitch to duck and weave his way to the try line almost unmolested through several would be tacklers for a very good individual try. 18-28
Ten minutes later a ball kicked out on the full gave Moortown position and once again Malton’s nemesis put in an appearance as a penalty awarded to the home side was swiftly converted. 18-31
The Malton ascendancy was late in coming but a switch or two off the bench, Bulmer for Foster, and the dependable Hopkins for the hard working Salisbury, proved to be inspired.
With 20 minutes on the clock and Malton on the attack skipper Triffitt chose to take a scrum penalty and a second one two minutes later gave ball and position to feed Fothergill on the right who bustled his way through several would be tacklers and made the extra yards to narrow the angle for Poole to slot the extras. 25-31
With the try bonus point in the locker Malton upped their game another notch or two in search of the remaining 4 league points still out there and in the 76th minute good position and 2 penalties later set up Bell to dive in at the corner and a fine conversion by Poole gave Malton a narrow lead. 32-31
Moortown replied with an attack on the left but with the defence all up in a line leaving no one at home Bulmer popping up on the wing cleverly read and picked off the final pass to the winger and “sprinted” 35 metres to the line and the corner for the final score, 37-31 and a full house in terms of league points.
The squad now have some tough opponents in their remaining five games including Goole home and away. The first of these games is at Goole next week and it goes without saying that the boys do appreciate travelling support and encouragement, so once again set your television recorders or watch on iPlayer when you get home and make the short journey to Goole.
Malton: Nick Salisbury, John Vasconcelos, Ben Boothman, Jamie Rounthwaite, Sean Emms, Ben Tenge, Tom Lowry, Sam Triffitt (c), Paul Angus, Shane Poole, Ali Fothergill, Tom Foan, Jacob Stephenson, Will Bell, Blair Foster.
Subs: James Bulmer, Peter Hopkins (both used),
Jake Starbuck (not used).
Scorers: Tenge 1 try
Triffitt 1 try
Foster 1 try
Fothergill 1 try
Bell 1 try
Bulmer 1 try
Poole 1 pen, 2 cons.
