SECOND HALF COMEBACK EARNS TWO LEAGUE POINTS.
JAMES KNOCK
On a typical grey wet November afternoon as only the West Riding provides Malton pitched up at the well named Moorend ground Cleckheaton showing 3 changes from last week's starting line up.
Malton started well winning the first two line outs on the Cleckheaton throw in and a promising breakout by Jack Hobbs was spoilt by a pass going astray. Two errors in succession by Malton's full back saw Cleckheaton drive down to the Malton line and a scrum 5 metres out with Cleckheaton's put in was fed to their powerful no12 who was put on his back over the line by Ali Fothergill to save a certain 7 points. The Cleckheaton pack were in the ascendancy and took one against the head on 15 minutes but Malton's scrambled defence held them at bay. Any possession that Malton gained was snuffed out by the ferocious tackling of the Cleckheaton defence especially their no6 often employing two men in the tackle.However stemming the tide eventually proved impossible and on 23 minutes a glaring offside in midfield by a member of Malton's back row gave Cleckheaton a penalty 10 metres out on the right hand side. Opting for a scrum the ball was moved left for a simple run in by the Cleckheaton no11 with Malton's defence nowhere to be seen for a 5 pointer.
Malton hung in for the next 10 minutes but simple catching and passing errors, unnecessary missed passes and indeed on one occasion handing over the ball as if it was a Saturday sweetie meant that progress was limited. On 32 minutes the Cleckheaton no11 was put in for his 2nd unconverted try to be followed 3 minutes later by a kick pass to the other winger who benefitting from a kindly bounce beat one man and waltzed in for 5 points only.
On the stroke of half time another passing and looping interchange by the Cleckheaton backs saw their no13 dot down near the posts to facilitate the conversion and bring the score to 22 points to nil.
The advice from the Malton coaches at half time would certainly not have passed the censor but seemed to galvanise the boys as we shall see in the 2nd half.
Malton opened up the half with a good drive to the Cleckheaton 20 metre zone with Rob Featherstone, Matt Bowman,and skipper Sam Triffitt to the fore and releasing the ball to James Bulmer who dummied his man and fed the galloping Tom Lowry who opened Malton's account on 43 minutes with 5 points only. Malton now with the bit between their collective teeth, winning plentiful ball allied to the powerful running of Hobbs, Triffitt, and Tom Foan were making regular incursions into the opposition half.
But on 51 minutes Cleckheaton seized a scrap of possession and capitalised with Malton guilty of backing off and missing tackles for a 7 pointer as their no14 collected his second try.
One minute later Malton paid the price for not letting the catcher of a high ball get back to ground with an unnecessary yellow card against their no7 whose absence for 10 minutes made his team mates task a touch more difficult.
On 57 minutes a possible scoring pass from Triffitt to Lowry was slapped down earning a yellow for the Cleckheaton no 14 but with no TMO the referee's decision was just a penalty.
On 64 minutes with Malton restored to a full compliment and in full cry, Bulmer ghosted through a gap leaving two would be tacklers on the floor grasping thin air to score and convert his own try.
29-12 Malton's faithful and full throated travelling support sensed the chance of a possible 2 league points and even the remote sniff of a victory!
70 minutes and a good drive by the Malton eight set up the hard working Tom Lowry for his 2nd unconverted try.
Time was running out but still Malton chased down the points and on 76 minutes were in the Cleckheaton 20 metre zone and following intense pressure from Malton's pack Ali Fothergill picked up and scored to claim the 4th try and 1 bonus point on 78 minutes.
This left 2 minutes for the boys to pressure for the draw and Cleckheaton to hang on and full time was blown to end an exciting 2nd half with all Malton players used deservedly earning the 2 league points after the disastrous and indeed lacklustre 20-25 minutes of the 1st half. This outfit as mentioned before does not lack character and if they carry on working for each as a close knit group a positive outcome to the season is theirs for the taking! I hope they enjoyed the heady delights of Tadcaster and Sam Smiths ales on their bus ride home.
A well deserved break is their reward and we return to the Gannock on December 7th to entertain Scarborough who have given way to our friends at Clifton Park and Kelleythorpe respectively at the top of the league and gives the coaching team time to iron out the problems thrown up in today's first half.
MALTON: Will Bell, Ali Fothergill, Tom Foan, Vus Dyantjies, Chris Joe, James Bulmer, Paul Angus, Pete Hopkins, Bailey Lamb, Rob Featherstone, Will Dunn, Jack Hobbs, Tom Lowry, Matt Bowman, Sam Triffitt (c).
Subs: Nick Salisbury, Will Skinner, (both used). Nathan Pratt (not used).
Scorers: Lowry 2tries, Fothergill 1try, Bulmer 1try, 1 con
