James Knock
With the League Secretary in attendance and stipulations concerning a maximum of this current season 1st team appearances to be observed in order to play in this final for club 2nd teams, Malton arrived at the neutral ground in Pocklington with this season’s bragging rights over their opponents. P3 W2 L1 , Points for 65 Points against 50, thus ensuring a close contest.
Malton took the kick off and it wasn’t long before their first try in the 5th minute via Jefferson following several phases as the pack pounded away at the Hullensians line with skipper Welch laying back a perfect ball for a straight forward run in. 7-0
Following a missed catch on the touch line at the restart and a subsequent Hullensians throw in at the line out Malton were caught offside and Hullensians opted to take the 3 points on offer. 7-3
Eight minutes later with play moving up and down the pitch on the bone hard playing surface Malton missed a penalty shot that on another day would have hit the target.
A feature of this opening 20 minutes and indeed the next 20 was the domination by the Malton front three with veteran prop Gwilliam forcing his huge opposite number to stand up to escape him in practically every scrum as he turned the screw but with no reward from the man with the whistle, something that much later in the game would have a bearing on the final result.
Hullensians had several strong runners in their back division and over the next period they displayed the potential they had stored in the locker but strong tackling from Malton kept them at bay.
Malton also were not slow in launching their own attacks with Raines, Tindall and Jefferson leading the way, but it was Hullensians who broke the stalemate in the 37th minute after 10 minutes of constant pressure in the Malton 20 metre area, as they set up a score to take the lead on halftime. 7-10
Five minutes after the restart Malton gave up successive penalties to find themselves pinned in their 20 metre area. Hullensians looked dangerous but somehow Malton kept them out and worked their way downfield. A 20 metre break by Turnbull G put them in position for Bevin to pick up at the base of a ruck and score a 7 pointer on 50 minutes 14-10
However 3 minutes later Hullensians ran in a simple try as Malton stood bemused and watched a straight forward run in out wide for 5 only. 14-15
In the 63rd and 65th minutes yellow cards were issued one apiece to Hullensians and then Malton respectively.
With 8 minutes left on the clock Malton earned a penalty 20 metres out and virtually in front of the sticks which sailed over, 17-15 and Malton’s large band of supporters dared to hope this soul be sufficient with good game management to close out proceedings.
In the 76th minute Hullensians had a penalty shot which hit the post and from the rebound a Malton player knocked it forward into the grateful arms of an opposition player who moved wide for an easy run in with the conversion attempt again rebounding off an upright, 17-20 but more importantly 3 tries to 2.
In the 77th minute Malton kicked a penalty award to the corner as three points and a draw under the league rules would not have meant extra time due to the above try imbalance. From the line out and following a break down and another penalty award Malton chose to scrum several metres out. The ball was kicked out of Malton’s back row by the Hullensians 9 with no reaction from the referee. One minute later another scrum in a similar position with a Malton put in and an immediate collapse to the floor by the Hullensians prop, this time a sure penalty try in the circumstances, but not a flicker from the man who had given up his afternoon to take charge of this final, and Malton in the spirit of the game had to accept defeat, as the extremely full and noisy Hullensians technical area, who had earlier in the game received a referee’s caution for their language and behaviour, erupted in jubilation.
MALTON: Ed Gwilliam, Lewis Welch, Jake Taylor, Rory Bevin, Hefin Owen, Josh Raines, George Turnbull, Josh Watson, Olly Simpson, Adam Finlinson, Connor Biggs, Charlie Tindall, Jake Starbuck, Finn Tumman, Matt Jefferson.
Bench: Rob Featherstone, Tommy Turnbull, Henry Wilson, Matt Clarke, Adam Thompson (all used)
Harry Alngohuro, Ted Hughes, (not used).
Travelling reserve: Byron Marshall.
Scorers: Jefferson 1 try
Bevin 1 try
Finlinson 2 cons 1 pen
