Malton & Norton rise to the test in fine style (From Gazette & Herald)

Malton & Norton rise to the test in fine style

3:30pm Wednesday 17th October 2012 in Sport

Malton & Norton ended a run of four defeats in emphatic style with a 55-0 thrashing of Durham City in North One East.

The confidence-boosting win at The Gannock on Saturday lifted the Ryedale side away from the lower reaches of the table ahead of this weekend’s trip to basement side Darlington.

The Malt management made a host of changes, some forced, and the new faces rose to the challenge and laid down markers for future selection.

Conditions were perfect and the home side took full advantage, starting with a try after only two minutes. Good forward play involving debutant prop Danny Johnson and hooker Nick Salisbury produced good, quick ball for the backs. Fly-half Chuck Ramsay’s break split the defence to send right wing Tom Newitt in at the corner.

From the restart, a good catch by Ali Coe was quickly moved on to the backs and Newitt appeared in midfield to take the pass and race away to score from 60 metres out.

Ramsay added the conversion and a rout was on the cards.

Once again, Malton struck from the restart. A series of good forward drives took play deep into Durham territory before Ramsay again made a break to send full-back Ian Cooke over for a third try in less than 10 minutes.

In recent weeks, Malton have built up a decent lead and then sat back on their laurels. For the next 20 minutes of this game, they again went back to bad habits but the opposition were unable to capitalise.

Just before the break, Malt recovered their composure and good forward play and ball retention produced a try for skipper Paul Dobson to make it 22-0 at half-time.

With two minutes on the clock in the second half, Newitt took a tap penalty and the ball was quickly transferred across field to debutant wing Rob Dempsey, who raced away from the Durham defence to score and Ramsay converted.

The Malton pack were in complete control, constantly driving Durham back at set scrums and mauls, with Coe and young Henry Barnes giving a fine example of back-row play at the breakdown.

From a scrum close to the Durham line, number eight Sam Triffitt picked up and fed scrum-half Dan Cattle, who went over under the posts to give Ramsay another simple conversion.

Midway through the half, Malt elected for a set scrum in place of a penalty and another pick-up by Triffitt and pass to Cattle produced another converted try. Then Danny Johnson capped a fine personal performance with a strong break on halfway before handing to flanker Barnes 40 metres out and he streaked away to record his first try in senior rugby.

When a Durham clearance failed to reach touch, Cooke fed centre Ryan Lonsdale and he swatted aside some feeble tackling to saunter over from 50 metres out. Ramsay’s conversion completed the scoring.

Club spokesman Bill Laidler said: “The win lifts Malton away from the nether regions of the league and Saturday’s visit to basement side Darlington, although not a push over, should enable Malton to rise even further if they can turn in another performance of this quality.”

Malton: I Cooke, T Newitt (B Woodhouse), S Millward, R Lonsdale, R Dempsey, C Ramsay, D Cattle, P Dobson (J Richards), N Salisbury, S Emms, R Webster (D Foster), A Coe, H Barnes, S Triffitt.