A LACKLUSTRE performance from a Malton & Norton RUFC side, lacking three or four key players, saw them ousted 20-12 by a pumped up Bridlington side in a Yorkshire Shield semi-final.

From the kick off Malton were at sixes and sevens and soon fell behind when Bridlington gladly accepted a penalty chance when a Malton player failed to roll away after a tackle.

Running the ball from defence five minutes later, Malton looked to be making progress on half-way with a one man overlap. However, the last pass was easily intercepted by Bridlington and the try was scored between the posts for the hosts to take a deserved 10-0 lead.

Malton sparked at last and a good break from the battling Josh Heggie almost broke through but the pass to fellow centre Rob Armitage was deemed forward.

Bridlington again came back and set up camp deep in the Malton 22-metre area with a series of scrums.

Good defence initially kept them at bay but when they broke on the blind side a powerful run from the left wing left the defence in tatters. The try was well converted from wide out.

After 25 minutes, a Malton scrum in the home 22-metre saw the ball released to Armitage. He drew the defence before setting wing Callum Stark free to cross in the corner.

Another break from Heggie, who made ground every time he had the ball, was again thwarted by a forward pass. The hosts led 17-5 at half-time.

More was expected from Malton in the second period.

However, once more it got off to a bad start when a penalty was conceded in the first five minutes.

Malton mounted a series of good drives which had the home pack in difficulties but with poor decision-making behind the pack little headway was made.

The breakthrough did come when good line-out ball was secured and the controlled drive gave substitute number eight James Machin the touchdown. A good conversion from Paul Angus put Malton back into the game.

Both sides strived for more but the game became a battle in mid-field as neither side could gain an advantage and the game fizzled out for a deserved Bridlington win.