Malton and Norton Ladies RU made Hartlepool Ladies fight all the way before the Cleveland side finally clinched the North East Division Three championship.

It was a brave effort from Malton in their final match of the season and they were unlucky to go down 17-5 at home.

Hartlepool's speedy full-back opened the scoring early on with a long range try before Malton responded with pressure of their own.

They were nearly rewarded when Sue Hayhurst and Lorraine Cooke drove over from a maul but could not get the ball down.

However, quick ball from the resulting scrum allowed Katie Raines to score.

Just before half-time Hartlepool ran in another try to make the interval score 12-5.

Malton stayed in contention during the second half with some good breaks from the backs and some strong tackling but Hartlepool clinched the win with a try late in the game.

Malton's man of the match was Clare White for strong attacking runs and superb tackling.

The team would like to thank everyone who has helped them out during the

season, especially their coaches Nick Cooke and Jim Fisher.

They are seeking new players for the start of pre-season training in mid-July, and also hope to run an under-16 team in conjunction with Bridlington.

Anyone interested should contact Bellie Peacock on 01653 692291.

Updated: 13:02 Tuesday, May 22, 2001