MALTON & Norton seconds enjoyed a superb 55-22 over their Hull Ionians counterparts on Saturday - though the game was marred by a potential career-ending injury to Chris Creber.

The second string continued their recent good progress, aided by a few first-teamers, and made up for a 75-5 shoeing the last time these two sides met.

However, first-team boss Chris Creber, who was welcomed into the side and back into the number 10 position, where he had a superb game orchestrating the troops, damaged his troublesome knee and left the fray 10 minutes from time.

The veteran schemer had undergone cruciate ligament surgery on the same knee and it is feared he may never don the shirt again.

Malton went ahead early on after a superb drive released quick ball. Swift hands from scrum-half Harry Owston, Creber and centre Scott Kneeshaw put first-team ace Kenton Leiataua. He almost reached the line and, from the breakdown, Eddie Everson and Sean Emms drove well and prop Liam Vaughan touched down.

From the restart, full-back Paul Angus made good ground before captain Dave Cooke took over, taking several Ionians player with him as he crossed the whitewash.

Ionians, however, improved and started to threaten.

Malt lost Kneeshaw to injury, which gave the opportunity for Ian Cooke to join his older sibling in the game and it wasn’t long before the first-team playmaker up Ionians with a typically mazy run from which winger Rob Dempsey benefited.

This time Ionians responded with a try.

Malt were dominating the scrums and it was unfortunate that, following one, an Ionians prop was injured. They had no front-row replacement so scrums had to go uncontested, making the encounter more like a sevens match. Nevertheless, Malt continued to play a direct attacking game and youngsters Tom Lowry, Rob Stephenson, Pete Hopkins and Will Smith revelled playing alongside the experienced Carl Muscroft, Dave Woodhouse and Dan Johnson, while Ali Coe showed why he has been one of the season's better players as he dominated the lineout and was involved in much of the quality play in the loose.

Malt continued to rack up the points with Coe and Ian Cooke among the scorers until the unfortunate injury to Creber meant a re-organisation and loss of a controlling voice.

Ionians grabbed the opportunity to finish with a couple of unanswered tries but it did not prevent Malt enjoying a win with which to finish the season at home.

The seconds' final game is at Wharfedale, when a bus trip is planned.