A 23-8 defeat at champions Bradford & Bingley consigned Malton & Norton to second place in Yorkshire Division One and a play-off against Durham & Northumberland Division One runners-up Middlesbrough (Durham City are champions there) for the final promotion berth.

The venue for the play-off on Saturday, April 30 will not be determined until after the final games this coming Saturday.

Malton were trailing by eight points within five minutes but Bradford & Bingley were having difficulty in the scrums, Zweli Sodladla replying with a penalty.

The visitors then showed that they are not just a forward-dominated outfit, fly half Nick Daley making one defence-splitting run, while Sodladla was stopped just short.

Then the home side struck twice with catch-and-drive tries. Despite trailing 20-3 at half-time, Malton now had the breeze at their backs.

Another penalty made it 23-3 but Malton upped their tempo, twice getting over the line only to be held up, before, from a five-metre scrum, No 8 Josh Heggie passed to Daley, who went over in the corner.

Malton suffered a grievous blow near the final whistle. Following a heavy tackle in midfield, a home player held on to Sodladla, who used his feet on the body of the tackler to extract himself and was shown a red card. He could now miss the last league match and the play-off.

Malton & Norton: C Ramsay, I Cooke, Z Sodladla, V Dyantjies, B Woodhouse, N Daley, P Angus, R Featherstone, J Thornton, B Boothman, J Lumley, J Rounthwaite, A Coe, S Triffitt, J Heggie. Replacements (all used): E Gwilliam, S Emms, B Tenge.

York, playing their final home game of the season, defeated Old Crossleyans 37-7 in Yorkshire Division One.

Jon Dawes edged York ahead with a try in the 23rd minute and added a penalty ten minutes later.

A converted Crossleyans try five minutes before half-time made it 8-7 but skipper Chris Fox lolloped over from 15 metres out for 13-7 and centre Tom Newitt scored from the first attack of the second half, Dawes converting.

On the hour, Dawes chipped through for centre Chris Peace to score and late tries came from Gaz Singleton and Dan Coe, Dawes converting the former's effort.

Pocklington condemned South Shields Westoe to a third relegation in four seasons by defeating them 24-14 at home in North One East.

The hosts crossed in the opening quarter through prop Chris Morton and full back Mark Fletcher and they added two more tries in the second half, skipper and scrum half Ben Rees landing two conversions before the visitors added a converted try.

York RI defeated visitors Rotherham Clifton 40-5 in Yorkshire Division Four with tries by centres Andy Brentnall (2) and Tim Lewis, wingers Skaife and man of the match Danny Spencer (2), who converted five goals.