EFFICIENT MALTON SAVE THEIR SEASON
James Knock
Bright sunshine and a balmy 15 degrees together with the largest crowd of the season to date greeted our visitors from Halifax in a league basement battle to escape the drop.
Malton kicked off towards the town with an overcooked drop out that went dead resulting in a scrum on halfway with the visitor’s put in. Four minutes later Malton worked the ball down the stand side and earning a penalty 15 metres out their quick witted no9 Angus as he so often does, took a quick tap and bamboozled his way over the line. 7-0
Three minutes later Malton gave up their first penalty and Crocs moved the ball from the resulting line out to the right but a crushing cover tackle from Bell, back in the midfield for the afternoon snuffed out the attacking threat.
In the 12th minute prop Hopkins stationed in the back three possibly by design took a high ball and with a pass out of the training manual linked with Angus who moved rapidly down the clubhouse side and via Bell the ball was delivered to Johnson who scored in the corner, Bulmer adding the extras. 14-0
On 20 minutes the referee held a consultation with both skippers regarding discipline which Malton took on board, and at the same time Bulmer hit the metalwork from 30 metres out.
From a penalty line out in the corner Malton’s throw in was inch perfect and the copybook catch and drive delivered a try for Vasconcelos. 21-0
The Crocs first visit to the Malton red zone came in the 30th minute via a penalty but Malton disrupted their line out and cleared the danger area.
Halftime came with a penalty award to the home side and with 21 points banked Bulmer unceremoniously booted the ball into the clubhouse terracing.
The second half opened in similar fashion to the opening kickoff but this time lack of distance resulted in a scrummage in the middle, a coincidence not seen often.
Malton with their 21 point cushion went quiet for a short period of time and Crocs entered the game to show their potential with a break down the middle, three of their backs inter passing for 50 metres to create the try of the afternoon. 21-7
In the 55th minute with the home side picking up the pace again the next score came from a Triffitt pick up at the base which was fed to Angus who sold a sumptuous dummy before crossing the whitewash. 28-7
With the try bonus point in the tucker bag Malton now looked to reduce the difference in the season’s points for and against which pre match stood at minus 100, and in the 60th minute skipper Triffitt in his 400th game scored his 101st try after good work from Cornforth. 35-7
Seven minutes later with the game over as a contest and the Crocs visibly wilting Malton sent Fothergill over the whitewash for 5 points only to complete the scoring. 40-7
The visitors finished the game in the Malton 20 metre area but as they gave up a penalty the referee with barely a glance at his timepiece decided he had seen enough and signalled full time.
With our league place secured we are at Goole in two weeks time and with pressure from one or two players in the second team squad the team sheet should make for interesting reading.
MALTON: Ben Boothman, John Vasconcelos, Peter Hopkins, Sean Emms, Will Dunn, Henry Cornforth, Tom Lowry, Sam Triffitt (c), Paul Angus, James Bulmer, Archie Johnson, Jacob Stephenson, Will Bell, Tom Atkinson, Ali Fothergill.
Bench: (all used) Nick Salisbury, Charlie Reed, Bill Collier.
Scorers: Angus 2 tries
Johnson 1 try
Vasconcelos 1 try
Triffitt 1 try
Fothergill 1 try
Bulmer 5 cons
