Malton and Norton 20 – 15 Yarnbury

Yorks League 1 – Malton and Norton 20 – 15 Yarnbury

Yarnbury without a game last saturday when the North Ribblesdale League game was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch travelled to Malton for this fixture against second in the league flying high with their substantial smattering of overseas players in backs and forwards.The Horsforth side persevered with the side that managed to throw away a victory at Halifax two weeks ago for this tough fixture.

Malton took the game to Yarnbury from the start being pinned back in their 22 metre by the precise kicking of their South Africa full back Zweli Sodladla and after 5 minutes manufactured a score on the right hand side when good hands deceived the away side and Sam Triffitt the captain went in for the first score when he took an inside pass to slip the cover.

Yarnbury lost stand off Danny Pound very early on and Stephen Riley and Graham Maycock moved inside and Connor Moreton came on at outside centre and the ball was worked well out left for winger Elis Gomersall to make good ground shrugging off defenders before being forced into touch.Yarnbury were repelled on several occasions in the Malton 22 metre area by loosing their ball or having it turned over by the home pack.Nevertheless,the Horsforth men were taking the game to the high flyers and giving them something to think about at half time without any further score in a tight first half.

Unfortunately, Malton scored on the restart through prop Rob Featherstone escaping down the blindside from close in again the conversion was missed before pressure from Yarnbury gave their full back Kieran Davis a chance to put Yarnbury on the board to reduce the arrears.Malton’s other prop Ben Boothman crashed over to increase the lead for the third unconverted try and with the home side showing dominance in the scrum it looked a tough ask for Yarnbury.Not so with their team spirit despite this disadvantage number 8 Jimmy Cryan was able to clean up at the back of the scrum enough to make ground and set up attacking rucks and from the half way in quick hands from Riley and Graham maycock set up left winger Gomersall for a run again without much room used his strength to shrug off his opposite number turn the cover inside before racing over the line.With Davies converting put Yarnbury back in the game.This was Yarnbury’s best spell in the second half and running all the ball asked the home side several questions on attack and the spirit was epitomised by young right winger Eddie Childs dumping the much bigger Malton second row on his back to give his team a lift.

Yarnbury equalised on 70 minutes with a team try when the pack made good ground from a penalty and substitute Russ Gomersall slipped a quick pass to Cryan who made for the line holding off two tacklers to make the try which went unconverted.

Stand Off replacement from New Zealand slipped in for the winning try soon after but Yarnbury suffered a blow when stand Off Stephen Riley was injured at the finish which could mean more re-organisation next week for the rearranged league game with rivals North Ribblesdale at Brownberrie Lane.The only consolation for a close game was a loosing bonus point.