Yorkshire One - Malton and Norton 49 pts - Wheatley Hills 7 pts. It may have been a dark, wet and windy afternoon but some of Malton and Norton's play in dreadful conditions brightened up the afternoon.

This win meant Malton have now drawn level at the top with Pontefract, who drew with Selby, although the West Yorkshire side have a superior points difference.

Malton opened as they meant to continue, playing with pace in possession and defending with steel. Wheatley conceded penalty after penalty, as Malton tore into them.

Phil Ryan and Liam Vaughan were prominent in many of Malton's driving runs and, with their forward colleagues eager to carry on the good work, made yards of ground, despite playing into the teeth of the gale.

A score had to come and Ian Cooke obliged with a well-struck penalty. Almost immediately, Malton were on the offensive again. A clever kick into the corner was followed up by Cooke, who just got the touch down ahead of a desperate defender.

Wheatley began to fall apart and exhibited some of the unnecessary side of the game. Malton kept their cool and answered with rugby of a very high standard.

Livewire full-back Jason Simpson was next on the score sheet. Making one of his trade-mark incursions into the threequarter line, he ran in unopposed beneath the posts for Cooke to convert.

The home back row of David Cooke, Andy Mitchell and James McKay were proving a handful for the visitors and got their own reward when McKay was next to cross the line to give his side a 20-point interval advantage.

With the gale at their backs, Malton spent most of the second period in the visitors' half of the pitch. Chris Creber sensibly used his boot to gain territorial advantage before releasing his men to play the dazzling rugby.

In light of the conditions, some of the handling was unbelievable as Malt gained a stranglehold on the game. Ian Cooke scored two further tries as Malt ran rampant. Others were added by McKay, Will Barber, who was excellent throughout, and Mitchell. Cooke added two conversions.

Malton's much-talked about lightweight pack were the key to this victory. Never bowing to heavier opponents, they gained the dominance the three-quarters needed to do their stuff.

What they lack in size, the likes of Steve Piercy and Carl Muscroft make up for with determination and grit. The large gathering of former players present can only have marvelled at the rugby currently being played at The Gannock.

Malton and Norton visit bottom club Scarborough next week for the first of the local derbies between the two sides.

Updated: 11:23 Wednesday, December 03, 2003