Yorkshire One - Scarborough 13 pts - Malton and Norton 34 pts. With half the league season now played, Malton's half-term report will say 'excellent work, more of the same needed'. They remain joint top, equal on points with Pontefract but with an inferior points difference.

Local derbies often throw up strange results, but Malton never had any intention of letting this game slip. Although outweighed in the pack, they showed a ponderous Scarborough outfit that pace and handling are the keys to success with some lovely rugby to warm the large crowd.

Scarborough opened the scoring with a penalty from fly-half Rohan Raas when Malton were unfortunate to be adjudged to be offside at a ruck. This was only a minor setback. Good forward driving set up good position in the home 22-metre area. As the ball was passed along the line, fullback Jason Simpson roared through a gap in the defence to get the first of his side's five tries.

Malton kept up the pressure and, after being thwarted in their attempts to cross the line on a couple of occasions, took a kick at goal from a penalty in front of the posts. Ian Cooke added to his ever-growing tally with a well-struck kick.

Centre threequarter David Webster, who for the second week in succession was the shining light of the Malton side, carved open the home defence with brilliant display of footwork and sleight of hand to score wide out and give his side a ten-point cushion.

The Scarborough pack forced Malton to concede a second penalty in one of their few forays into an attacking position. Good Malton defence, especially one fantastic Andy Mitchell steal at a Scarborough line-out on the Malton line, kept the home side at arm's length for the remainder of the half.

Scarborough resumed the second half with another fiery opening but Malton coped well. Chris Creber was ever eager to set his backs free and, with Will Barber and Simpson providing the cutting edge, the home defence was looking fragile. This was exposed when a good break from Barber put Ian Cooke over. His conversion put Malton into a comfortable lead.

Duncan Foster and Mitchell were dominating the line-outs and, with the pack swarming around the field like a plague of locusts, frequent opportunities arose. It was fitting that Barber should get the next try after twice being stopped short. Cooke again added the conversion.

Malton then lost Phil Ryan and Mitchell in quick succession to injury but prop forward Liam Vaughan, who had suffered abuse from a small minority of the Scarborough crowd, showed that Malton can play rugby throughout the side when he finished off a good move with his first try for the club. Cooke again added the extras.

A hack out of defence was followed up by Scarborough and a line-out on the Malton line saw the visitors steal the ball but knock on in the process. At the resultant scrum, the home pack moved Malton back and a penalty try was given when Malton were caught offside. Raas added the conversion but Malton were deserved winners and left Scarborough rooted to the bottom of the table.

Once again, the Malton back row were superb but the whole side showed a commitment to each other which their neighbours could do well to emulate if they are to survive.

Malton travel to Stocksbridge for a Yorkshire Shield second round tie on Saturday.

Updated: 12:14 Wednesday, December 10, 2003