Malton and Norton RUFC

MALTON WIN THIRD GAME ON THE TROT.

James Knock

The entrails of storm Malik played their part in today’s game with a stiff breeze blowing diagonally across Feathers Field.

Pocklington kicked off and a hanging high drop out was allowed to bounce which the home side secured and moved right for their midfield to slice open Malton, the line speed defence not moving evenly and thus creating a dog leg for the attack to exploit and get to within 10 metres of the line.

Malton recovered and moved rapidly down to the home red zone and after 4 scrum penalties in succession put Foan in for a well worked 7 points, and simultaneously the unfortunate home loose head was shown a yellow card for his efforts, all this in the seventh minute.

Despite being in control up front Malton slipped into old habits and coughed up two or three needless penalties with the referee having to explain that he was the man with the whistle and that he didn’t need help with his decisions from players close to the scrum.

However in the fifteenth minute Malton ran out of defence with Bell making 20 metres finding his supporting full back who connected with the omnipresent Lowry who passed to Bulmer for a cheeky chip kick and collect to round off the move and harvest 7 points. 14-0 and the gods were smiling on Malton with the omens positive.

Pocklington swapped their props round when the yellow card was completed which improved matters for them and they started to contest at tight and loose scrums, but failed to make progress in midfield even though their wingers had shown flashes of their capabilities.

Despite 65 % possession and a captain’s example supported by the hard graft of Read coupled with 3 strong runs from Stephenson off his wing in the final 15 minutes of the half the points did not arrive, and the Malton supporters were left wondering if the failure to capitalise on all the possession would turn round and bite Malton where it hurts with only 14 points on the board.  To add pressure to Malton’s position they lost Lowry to a shin injury with Barker replacing him.

Malton started the second half on the back foot as Pocklington revved up the engine and engaged forward gear with several good runs at the Malton defence and eventually the home no8 ran through and round eight men to open his team’s account and put them firmly in the game on 45 minutes.

Malton were struggling to cope with the strong crosswind and sticking with the floated miss passing and speculative kicks they found passes going behind the intended receiver thus breaking up any forward momentum.

Malton’s pack were going through a period at odds with the opening 10 minutes and allowing the home forwards into the game for short periods instead of keeping the hammer down. The situation demanded firm control up front and there were short periods when pick up and drive through the forwards gained valuable metres and it was from one of these that Bulmer took the ball to the line, was stopped short and two phases later the improving Barker emphatically dotted down for 7 points to put the score at 21-7 in the 70th minute with Malton’s supporters fervently hoping the restored 14 point margin would be enough to see out the remaining ten minutes.

Local derbies are rarely that simple and in the 74th minute Pocklington sent their no12 over for a converted try to leave Malton hanging on and implementing their game management strategy to close out for 4 league points and leave the home side with the one point.

In the club house afterwards Pocklington nominated Foan for a well-deserved m.o.m.
Next week we entertain Morpeth at home who are in eighth place,six points behind but a game in hand which sets up the first of 3 home fixtures in February and the chance to consolidate our sixth place and inch towards the top 5 of this very competitive league.

MALTON:  Ali Fothergill,  Jacob Stephenson,  Tom Foan,  Ed Lockwood,  Will Bell,  James Bulmer,  Paul Angus,  Nick Salisbury,  Bailey Lamb,  Rob Featherstone,  Charlie Read,  Will Dunn,  Will Hughes,  Tom Lowry,  Sam Triffitt (c).

Subs:  John Lumley,  Tom Barker,  (both used)   Tom Hoggard (not used).

Scorers:   Foan  1 try
                 Bulmer   1 try,  3 cons
                 Barker  1 try.