Yorkshire Two. Malton and Norton 25pts. West Park Bramhope 12pts - MALTON and Norton kept in touch with the leaders and regained third place in Yorkshire Two with this excellent victory over second-placed West Park.

With the playing conditions at The Gannock almost perfect and Malton desperate to put recent defeats behind them, the scene was set for a very entertaining afternoon.

The home side quickly established their authority and forced West Park to concede a penalty for a high tackle inside the first five minutes. Ian Cooke took up from where he left off the previous week with a very good kick from 40 metres.

The Malton pack fought like tigers against the heavier visiting eight and, with the tackling in the backs of the highest order, West Park found difficulty in breaking out of their own half. Malton went further ahead with another Cooke penalty when West Park were caught handling in a ruck.

The Malton back row, with James McKay and David Cooke to the fore, were always a handful for the visitors and it was fitting that McKay was involved in Malton's first try right on half-time.

Breaking strongly from the base of a scrum, he made fully 30 yards before passing to flying wing Ian Mansell who scorched over to score a well-deserved try. The trusty boot of Ian Cooke did the rest and Malton led 13-0 at half-time.

Malton continued to control the game after the interval, with Chris Creber cleverly keeping West Park guessing with some varied play, occasionally chipping over for his pacy colleagues outside him to run onto and, at other times, letting his backs show their handling skills.

The first score of the half came through the Malton forwards. Following a line-out close to the West Park line, Malton set up a driving maul, orchestrated by scrum-half Jon Newsome, and drove to within ten yards before releasing McKay who crashed over in the corner.

West Park then had a brief spell of superiority and kicked for position ten metres from the home line. A driving maul was set up and, with Malton on the retreat, right wing Jason Holmes crossed for the visitors.

Following recent defeats, one or two anxious spectators wondered whether Malton could maintain their authority. They had no need to fear as their team quickly regrouped.

Using a training ground move from a line-out, Newsome fed Carl Rushworth who in turn handed on to McKay as Malton raced along the touchline. West Park were forced to concede a penalty at the ensuing ruck but the referee played a good advantage as Malton swept the ball across the backs for Will Barber to cross under the posts. Ian Cooke added the extras.

In the dying seconds, West Park narrowed the gap when they fed the ball to winger Jason Whitehead who crossed under the posts. Full-back Richard Monkhouse added the conversion and the whistle sounded for full-time. Malton had ripped up the form book with an excellent victory.

Updated: 09:59 Wednesday, February 19, 2003