MALTON & Norton sealed their promotion play-off place in style on Saturday - hammering relegation-threatened Wath-on-Dearne 64-18.

Malton have virtually given up on catching runaway leaders Doncaster Phoenix - who still have a 100 per cent record - but they needed only one win from their last five regular season matches to finish second and, after this thumping result, cannot now be caught.

They will duly take on the runners-up from Northumberland/Durham One in the play-off for promotion to North One East come the end of term, although for now they can focus on their Yorkshire Shield tilt - in which they visit Bridlington this Saturday in the semi-finals.

Said club spokesman Bill Laider: “We needed a win to ensure a play-off place - and the win was achieved with a nine-try bonanza against a plucky but frankly poor Wath side who could not live with the pace.

“Sizwe Zondo was the pick of the Malton side, with Siyabonga Moabi not far behind. However, as has been the case all season, this is a team and every member is doing his bit and more towards the cause.”

Malton fielded a slightly new-look side and, before they could settle, Wath scored first with a penalty for not releasing a tackled player.

However, as the Ryedale men found a pattern, the tempo of the game stepped up.

Wath conceded a penalty after 15 minutes and Ian Cooke got Malton on the road and from there his side took the game by the scruff of the neck and never looked back. On the half hour, Malton won a scrum 20 metres out. Number eight Sam Stephenson fed scrum-half Paul Angus, who passed to centre Josh Heggie, who broke the tackle before handing on to Zondo to storm over.

Cooke converted and no sooner had the game restarted than they were at it again. Zondo made the initial running before an exchange of passes between Heggie and Callum Stark set up fly-half Moabi for a 40-metre run to the line. Cooke added the extras. Wath were reduced to 14 men for the remainder of the game when a red card was brandished, possibly harshly, for a high tackle on Angus. Malton were in no mood to relax and another run from defence saw Moabi gain possession on halfway and turn on the after-burners to streak away for his second try. Then, another brilliant run from defence by Zondo took him to halfway where he found Moabi in support and the little South African needed no guiding to the line for his hat-trick try. Malt struck again in fist-half stoppage time.

Again it started from the back with Zondo feeding Cooke, who in turn set Angus away. A smart pass to centre Rob Armitage took him along the touchline and from 40 metres the centre streaked away for a rare try. Cooke goaled for a 36-3 interval lead.

Malton were eager for more in the second half and struck with just four minutes on the clock.

Good inter-passing between Ben Woodhouse, Heggie and second-row Jamie Rounthwaite ended with Rounthwaite storming away to touch down under the posts. Two minutes later, good work at the ruck by James Thornton and Ali Coe set substitute prop Simon Thompson off on a defence-splitting run. He passed on to Stark, whose run to the line was too strong for the visitors. The conversion brought up the half-century.

On the quarter-hour mark they struck again. This time controlled forward picking and driving set up an overlap which Zondo took delight in exploiting as he crossed for his second try. Wath briefly threatened but when they infringed Malton took a kick quickly and set Moabi away on another defence-destroying run. Cooke was in support and had a canter to the line for a try which he converted himself to bring Malton’s tally to 64 points.

Malt began to look to the future and a reshuffle of personnel for the last quarter gave Wath the chance to show they too could score tries - bagging three which were fully deserved for a gutsy display.

Malton: S Zondo, I Cooke, J Heggie, R Armitage, C Stark, S Moabi, P Angus, N Salisbury, J Thornton, R Featherstone, J Rounthwaite, S Emms, B Woodhouse, A Coe, S Stephenson. Subs: (all used) S Thompson, T Casey, G Barker.