10:01am Monday 22nd March 2010
ESCAPE artists Malton & Norton RUFC are on the brink of safety in Yorkshire One after a 22-18 victory at Selby.
The Ryedale side’s sixth win in seven games moved them six points ahead of second-bottom Skipton with four games of the campaign remaining.
They are now level on points with Saturday’s hosts, but it could have been so different at Sandhill Lane as the Swans went close to snatching an unlikely win.
A Malton drive appeared to have produced the opening try, but the score was ruled out. From the resulting five-metre scrum, the Selby defence strayed offside and Teei Piawi put Malton ahead with a penalty. Selby fly-half Dan Porter kicked well, keeping Malt pinned back and, when the visitors were penalised for not releasing the ball after a tackle, he levelled the scores from halfway.
Immediately after half-time, Malton had another try ruled out as the ball was knocked forward in the act of touching down. However, the vital break came seven minutes into the half. From a lineout, quick ball found Malton fly-half Chris Creber and he sent centre Ryan Lonsdale over the line. Piawi converted.
Selby refused to lie down and, in a rare raid into Malton territory, Porter reduced the deficit when Malt were caught offside at a ruck.
The Swans then bagged a try on 60 minutes when a stray Malton pass in the 22 was intercepted by Porter and he sprinted the length of the pitch to score wide out.
The conversion attempt failed, but the hosts had a one-point advantage. With ten minutes remaining, Creber picked up the ball from a scrum and again found Lonsdale, who ghosted through a gap for his second try. Three minutes later, Malton winger Marcel Anthony intercepted and raced more than 50 metres to score under the posts. Piawi converted and Malton should have shut up shop. Within three minutes Selby struck back when a quickly-taken penalty led to a converted try, but Malton managed to hang on.
York, meanwhile, stayed in the race for third place with a 30-14 victory over Scarborough at Clifton Park.
In Yorkshire Two, Pocklington slithered to a disappointing 13-9 defeat at Goole.
Pock took the lead with a Nick Bennett penalty, but Goole drove upfield from the kick off to force their way over for a try.
Pocklington winger Dan Pickard was a handful, but the heavy pitch did not suit back play and they were restricted to two more Bennett penalties.
Goole scored a try from a tap penalty and then kicked a penalty to go back in front.
Yorkshire Four leaders York RI were 11-5 winners at Hemsworth.
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