EXCELLENT team spirit ensured Malton and Norton gained second spot in Yorkshire 1 after a gritty 27-23 win at Keighley.

The first real opening came the way of Keighley after 15 minutes when a poor Malton clearance led to a raid by the home inside centre to score between the posts.

The visitors, with skipper Chris Creber and scrum half Jon Newsome to the fore, were always eager to attack and a penalty for an offside offence at a ruck enabled Ian Cooke to goal.

But Malton were conceding far too many penalties and were twice punished before Cooke added his second just before the break.

Trailing 13-6 at half-time Malton levelled.

Andy Mitchell made a clean catch at the line out and, with Newsome directing operations from the base, the forwards set up a rolling maul for Tom Eddy to get the touchdown and Cooke to convert.

Some of Malton's defensive play was of the highest order with flankers David Cooke and Mitchell and centres Ryan Lonsdale and Will Barber putting in some big tackles.

Then an Ian Cooke interception on his own 22 metre line took him the length of the pitch to touch down under the posts and add the conversion.

Still Keighley came back and Malton again conceded a needless penalty. Worse was to follow when from a line out on the Malton line a clean catch and drive gave Keighley the lead with a converted try.

With 15 minutes left Malton summoned their reserves of energy and with Keighley hemmed in their own half Creber made a half break before handing on to Lonsdale who weaved his way through to get a well-deserved try, and also impress the watching Yorkshire selectors. Cooke added the conversion and Malton held on to the advantage.

Updated: 15:35 Monday, October 13, 2003