Yorkshire-Durham & Northumberland Play-Off: Middlesbrough 17 Malton & Norton 25

MALTON & Norton will be playing in North One East next season following this great victory against Middlesbrough, who tried manfully but had no answer to the visitors' pack.

Having first use of the slight slope and stiff breeze, Middlesbrough put Malton under pressure for the opening five minutes, a number of unforced errors not helping the visitors' cause.

The improvement was very quick in coming, however, as the pack drove Boro backwards, Ian Cooke landing a penalty when it was illegally halted.

Malton then lost lost full back Sizwe Zondo with a knee injury, young three-quarter Ben Tenge replacing him.

But tensions were eased on the half-hour when the visitors opted for a scrum inside Boro's 22, instead of a kick at goal, No 8 Josh Heggie picking up and crashing over for the first try, Cooke converting excellently for 10-0.

Middlesbrough hit back five minutes later when the pack sucked in Malton's defence and the ball was spun wide for a converted try in the corner.

Boro should have levelled at 10-10 with the last kick of the half when they had a penalty 30 metres out in front of the posts but their kicker lost his footing at the last second and the ball sailed wide, although they did level with a penalty five minutes into the second half.

This proved the catalyst for the visitors, however, and they took advantage when the hosts were reduced to 14 men due to a sin-binning for a dangerous tackle.

The pack again did their work, with Boro being pinged for entering a maul from the wrong side, Cooke making it 13-10 with the penalty.

And when Boro were pushed off their own ball ten metres from their line, Heggie again picked up to force his way over and give Malton some breathing space.

The match was now being played in the hosts' half, with the visitors' pack taking a stranglehold, and the referee lost patience with Boro, yellow-carding a prop.

Malton took advantage when another Boro scrum was disrupted, scrum half Paul Angus pouncing to score from ten metres out when the ball squirted loose.

Cooke converted to cue the promotion celebrations but Boro had the final word deep in injury time when a second row went over in a rare raid, the conversion signalling the end of the match.

Malton's front row of Ed Gwilliam, James Thornton and Ben Boothman were outstanding, but the back row of Heggie, Ali Coe and Sam Triffitt also took the eye.

Cooke and Vos Dyantjies pulled off some excellent last-ditch tackles in the backs, but each of the 19 players can be justifiably proud of their efforts.

Middlesbrough generously donated the gate receipts to the Robert Stephenson Trust.

Malton: S Zondo; I Cooke, V Dyantjies, R Bowdich, B Woodhouse; N Daley, P Angus; E Gwilliam, J Thornton, B Boothman, S Emms, J Rounthwaite, A Coe, J Heggie, S Triffitt. Replacements (all used): S Thompson, C Ramsay, B Tenge, T Lowry.