VENGEFUL Malton & Norton achieved payback with interest as they demolished Middlesbrough - thanks to "some of the best rugby seen at The Gannock for many a year".

Malton lost on Teesside earlier in the Yorkshire One campaign but gained revenge in fine fashion against their depleted injury-hit visitors with a 10-try 64-7 victory.

The game had pitted second versus third in the Yorkshire One table but the difference in class between the two was far greater than those positions suggested as the red-hot Ryedale ranks ran riot.

Malton spokesman Bill Laidler: "Having suffered a crushing loss at Middlesbrough earlier in the season Malton were well prepared and fired up to ensure there was no repeat in the return at The Gannock.

"Middlesbrough were understrength owing to a crippling injury list but Malton were in no mood for sympathy, scoring 10 tries to record another emphatic victory."

Unbeaten league leaders Doncaster Phoenix had little trouble seeing off Old Brodleians to stay clear at the top but Laidler focused more on his side's form.

"We are certainly scoring freely at the moment and the rugby being produced is some of the best seen at The Gannock for many a year," he said.

"Flanker Ali Coe was the standout player of this performance but in all honesty the rest of the side were not far behind.

"The understanding between the players is growing with every game and this is leading to raising of the bar in so far as performances are concerned."

This Saturday Malton travel to Settle to take on bottom club North Ribblesdale, while Doncaster go to Pontefract.

The weather on Saturday was fine and the playing surface in excellent condition. However, a gale made life hard, with Malton opting to play against it in the first half.

Middlesbrough duly kept Malton pinned back for the first five minutes, even though Malton had possession for most of that time, but, in the sixth minute, the home side suddenly opened out and some very good handling by backs and forwards alike took play towards the Middlesbrough line.

An Ian Cooke break took play to the 22-metre line where from the ruck scrum-half Zweli Sodladla spotted a gap and raced through to the posts.

He added the first of his six conversions and the feast was underway.

Boro briefly rallied and should have narrowed the gap with a penalty but that was the last they saw of any decent possession for the remainder of the half.

Malton played a high-tempo game, keeping the ball moving and away from the big visiting forwards. Good handling from defence saw Sean Emms, Rob Featherstone and Vusumzi Dyantjies make ground deep into the visitors' half before the ball was released to the backs for centre Josh Heggie to canter over.

Some of Malt's rugby was stunning, with the forwards showing great control and handling as they drove into the opposition, while the threequarters showed pace and skill to leave the visitors grasping at straws.

Midway through the half, Malton again struck from deep. Good handling got the ball to Cooke who again broke along the touchline before handing on to Dyantjies, who sprinted 40 metres home.

Three minutes later, Malton had the try bonus point in the bag with their fourth try. This time it was hooker James Thornton, Coe and Emms who set up the eager George Harrison to scamper over from 30 metres.

Still Malton did not sit back and another good raid saw the slightly built but extremely powerful Dyantjies stand up well in the tackle to set up a rolling maul from which Heggie broke to get his second try.

On the stroke of half-time Malton again struck. A quickly taken penalty was run across the field before switching back the other way for full-back Sizwe Zondo to get a deserved try and make it 42-0 at the interval.

With the breeze behind them, Malton decided to keep the ball in hand period rather than kick possession away and let the visitors regroup.

Middlesbrough showed more fight in the early stages but that fire was subdued when prop Simon Thompson broke for Malton and made great strides before handing to skipper Sam Triffitt who provided the pass for Sodladla to register his second try. O

Malt added to the tally after a crushing tackle by Coe dislodged the ball from Middlesbrough in centre-field. The hosts snapped it up and spread the play wide for wing Ben Woodhouse to put Zondo in for his second.

Middlesbrough then fought back. A sustained period of pressure on the Malton line appeared to have been repelled by stout defence when the visitors took advantage of an overlap on the blind side to register the try the pressure deserved.

But Malton were not finished and on the half-hour scored the try of the game.

Running the ball from behind his own try line, Zondo made great strides, and the move was carried on with some great handling before Coe and Heggie combined to put Dyantjies in for his second try.

The final score came in the final minutes when, from a scrum under the posts, orthodox handling got the ball to Cooke who crossed and converted.

Malton: S Zondo, I Cooke, J Heggie, V Dyantjies, B Woodhouse, N Daley, Z Sodladla, S Thompson, J Thornton, R Featherstone, S Emms, J Rounthwaite, G Harrison, S Triffitt, A Coe Subs (all used): N Salisbury, T Newitt, T Lowry.