LAST GASP MALTON SECURE THREE LEAGUE POINTS.

JAMES KNOCK

The club stood silently for a minute to honour the memory of Roddy Brown who was for so long a regular feature of our club family. Thoughts also drifted towards another anniversary taking place on Manhattan island.

Malton received the kick off and advanced towards the Driffield red zone thanks to two early penalties. On seven minutes Malton who were already in charge at scrum time were poised in front of the sticks as the Driffield 5 earned a yellow card. Malton chose to scrum and the pick up at 8 lacked the support of a fellow back rower to capitalise by cutting an inside line.

Eight minutes later a line out several metres out was taken by the Driffield 8 who strolled over unchallenged for 7 points. Poor reward for Malton’s pack who up to now we’re in the ascendancy but getting little reward for the shove at scrum time.
Driffield’s forwards now started to supply quality loose ball and chose to kick for territory and on 30 minutes a simple move off 2 rucks created space for their 13 to cut inside and feed his full back with a simple off load for another 7 pointer.

At the restart Malton put the ball straight into touch but the pack corrected this error at the resulting scrum and with the ball in hand advanced rapidly to the 20 metre area and quick inter passing found a member of the front row union who unfortunately couldn’t hold on to the ball.
Malton in this ten minute period had enough possession in the right part of the field but lacked penetration and resorted on thirty eight minutes to a set pivot move which only just made the gain line, and summed up the frustration felt in the home crowd.

Twelve points to nil at half time with forward dominance needed some thinking through at the interval and a plan of action to be implemented on resumption. On 45 minutes against the run of play a Foan interception and use of his afterburners put Malton on the scoreboard despite having only fourteen men on the pitch, Hughes having earned a yellow card three minutes previously.

Driffield replied with two swift tries inside five minutes on 50 and 54 respectively for 14 points. 26-7 to the visitors with time for them to either add to or game manage the score line was staring Malton in the face.

It says a lot about this tight knit squad and new coach that adjustments were made and players gave way to others off the bench and positional changes were implemented with Angus moving to scrum half and the underused Bowman moving in to the midfield, his duties up to now limited to tackling on the wing.

On sixty minutes Malton were eventually rewarded for their scrum dominance with a penalty award but three minutes later the aforementioned front row union were pipped for unaccountably dropping the scrum.
Two minutes later good possession led to a half break by Bulmer and a clever offload to Bowman whose leg drive saw him to the line and 5 points.

Ten minutes later another Bowman 7 pointer was the result of total dominance by the Malton eight and all 15 players playing their part.
The hunt was now on for 8 points and the spoils of the game.
On 78 minutes Bowman completed his hatrick with another converted try and the scores were level.

Driffield came back with a deep kick off and Malton trying to run it out of their own half instead of booting it deep into the Driffield half were caught in possession and coughed up a kickable penalty in front of the uprights which sailed wide.
Honours even and 3 league points apiece.
Next week a trip to Halifax and Heath Rfc awaits.

Malton:   Ali Fothergill,  Matt Bowman,  Tom Foan,  Miles Duncan,  Paul Angus,  James Bulmer,  Shane Poole,  Nick Salisbury,  Bailey Lamb,  Rob Featherstone,  Will Dunn,  Sean Emms,  Will Hughes,  Tom Lowry,  Sam Triffitt (c).

Subs:  Tom Smith,  Charlie Read,  Matt Clarke.
All used.

Scorers:  Foan  1 try
                 Bowman  3 tries
                 Poole  1 con
                 Angus  2 cons.