Malton & Norton 25 
Old Crossleyans 15

MALTON & Norton survived a second-half scare to beat Old Crossleyans 25-15 at the Gannock in their Regional Two north east fixture on Saturday.

The entrails of Storm Otto reached down as far as Malton and made playing conditions tricky, with the Halifax-based visitors looking to emulate their 19-point margin of victory in mid-November.

Malton, with their backs to the football end, kicked off proceedings and as Crossleyans progressed up the park, the hosts lost two successive line-outs on their own throw-in.

The visitors took the lead after five minutes, with a penalty kick to the corner converted into a straight-forward catch and drive for Pollard.

Minutes later Malton’s Connor Miller, making his club debut, fielded a high ball on the centre mark and his return kick was perfect for the chasing Sam Triffitt to cannon the receiver into touch 15 metres out. 

Two phases later, Crossleyans under pressure, gave up a penalty under their posts, and James Bulmer duly claimed the points.

In the 23rd minute after several attempts to cross the visitor’s line at close range, prop Rob Featherstone was sent on to anchor the scrum five metres out. The result was instantaneous, with a penalty earned and the first referee’s warning of the game issued to the Crossleyans’ skipper. 

Converted by the reliable Bulmer, Malton took a points’ lead just before the half-hour mark.

Six minutes later Stephenson fielded a kick down his wing and was high-tackled, earned the visitors’ George Banham a yellow card. 

Bulmer placed the ball into touch metres out from the Crossleyans line from a perfect throw-in, with the rapidly improving Tom Barker dotted down for seven points.

The fly-half then converted his own try, having picked up a loose ball 30 metres from his line and raced to the other side of the pitch, giving his side a comfortable 20-5 lead at the interval.

Malton were forced into an unplanned substitution when Will Bell, who had been involved in an upright collision, gave way to Nick Bastow.

The hosts’ errors became the story of the second half, with a number of unnecessary penalties given away.

On 55 minutes, Crossleyans converted one of those to take the score to 20-8.

Nine minutes later, a mass brawl in front of the clubhouse resulted in yellow cards being shown to a man from either side, and a red to a member of the home front row.

Crossleyans took advantage, with their winger crossing for a converted try after collecting a perfect kick-pass. With the score poised at 20-15, game management was high on Malton’s priority list.

With 10 minutes left on the clock and the yellow carded players restored, Sean Emms was the beneficiary of a catch and drive to take the score to 25-15 with five minutes remaining.

A late yellow card for Bowman three minutes from time closed out the ill-tempered encounter.

Malton are next in action at last-placed Bradford & Bingley on Saturday (2.15pm).

Malton & Norton: Connor Miller, Jacob Stephenson, Will Bell, Tom Foan, Eddie Brown, James Bulmer, Paul Angus, Nick Salisbury, Matt Bowman, Archie Armitage, Jamie Rounthwaite, Sean Emms, Thomas Barker, Tom Lowry, Sam Triffitt(c).

Subs (all used): Rob Featherstone, Nick Bastow, Elliot Briggs.