Malt shock leaders (From Gazette & Herald)

Malt shock leaders

Yorkshire Two - Keighley 20 pts. Malton and Norton 33 pts

AFTER a magnificent all-round performance, Malton and Norton completed the double over league leaders Keighley and in so doing retained second place to keep their own promotion hopes very much alive.

Although up against a powerful pack, Malton possessed too much pace and skill for the home side to handle. The first score came after three minutes when winger Ian Cooke brilliantly read a Keighley pass to intercept and race half the length of the ground to score in the corner.

A fired-up Malton then turned up the heat. After good play from the Malton backs, a maul was set up on the Keighley line, giving prop forward Richard Ellis the chance to storm over from five metres out. Cooke added the extras and a shocked Keighley were now on the ropes.

Malton struck again with a break from Chris Creber which was carried on by young centre Ryan Lonsdale before second row forward Richard Webster took over ten metres out to score under the posts. Cooke again converted for Malton to take a 19-point lead after only 20 minutes.

Keighley began to play the touchlines and use their large pack to get back into the game. The tactic paid dividends. With Malton pinned in a corner, a clean catch and drive at a lineout gave Keighley their first try. The rolling maul tactics of Keighley brought a second score to reduce the lead even further. On the stroke of half-time, Malton's Will Barber went close from a penalty from 60 metres out.

In the second half, full-back Jason Simpson, who was outstanding, beat several players to create an opening for Ian Cooke along the touchline. Cooke gave a perfect pass to Creber who raced over from 20 metres for Cooke to convert and increase Malton's lead.

Keighley regrouped and put Malton under severe pressure with their brand of ten-man rugby. A penalty was conceded and Keighley reduced the arrears. Malton needed every ounce of spirit and commitment to repel the home side. The forwards stuck to their task heroically. Despite being pushed around in the set scrums and being overwhelmed in the lineouts, they limited Keighley to just one more score from yet another rolling maul.

Malton put the game out of Keighley's reach with another Ian Cooke try. Seizing on a fumbled catch close to the touchline, he hassled his opposite number into dropping the ball before winning the race to touch down. He took the conversion himself and Malton had clinched a crucial victory in their promotion battle.

This was a magnificent effort in which every player played his part. Ryan Lonsdale, in his first full game, put in another outstanding performance and James McKay was in the thick of everything. However, to pick a man of the match would be impossible as all 18 players did Malton's jubilant band of supporters proud.

Delighted coach Pat Stephenson said: "We've lost two or three games which have gone down to the wire so it was extra sweet to win one this time. We got off to a flying start and when we got the ball wide we were beating them every time. But they then put us under the cosh and it was pure commitment and guts which got us through."

With Malton level on points with West Park Bramhope and a superior points difference of just two, and West Leeds two points behind but with a game in hand, the race for second spot could not be tighter. Malton's final two games are at home to Pocklington and away to Beverley.

Updated: 09:40 Wednesday, March 19, 2003