Malton and Norton bounced back into the Yorkshire Two promotion race with an excellent 25-12 victory over second-placed West Park Bramhope.

With the playing conditions at The Gannock almost perfect and Malton desperate to put recent results behind them, the scene was set for a very entertaining afternoon.

The home side quickly established their authority and forced West Park to concede a penalty for a high tackle inside the first five minutes.

Ian Cooke took up from where he left off the previous week with a very good kick from 40 metres.

The Malton pack fought like tigers against the heavier visiting eight and with the tackling in the backs of the highest order, West Park found difficulty in breaking out of their own half.

Malton went further ahead with another Cooke penalty when Park were caught handling in a ruck.

The Malton back row, with James McKay and David Cooke to the fore, were always a handful for the visitors and it was fitting that McKay was involved in Malton's first try right on half-time.

Breaking strongly from the base of a scrum he made 30 yards before passing to flying wing Ian Mansell, who scorched over to score a well deserved try. The trusty boot of Ian Cooke did the rest and Malton led 13-0 at half-time.

Malton continued to control the game after the interval with Chris Creber cleverly keeping West Park guessing with some well varied play, occasionally chipping over for his pacy colleagues outside him to run on to and at other times letting his backs show their handling skills.

The next score came through the Malton forwards. Following a line-out close to the West Park line Malton set up a driving maul to move to within ten yards before releasing McKay who crashed over in the corner.

West Park then had a brief spell of superiority and kicked for position ten metres from the home line. A driving maul was set up and with Malton on the retreat wing Jason Holmes crossed for the visitors.

Malton quickly regrouped and using a training ground move from a line-out Newsome fed Carl Rushworth who, in turn, handed on to McKay as the home side broke along the touchline. West Park were forced to concede a penalty at the ensuing ruck, but the referee played a good advantage for Will Barber to cross.

Cooke added the extras and Malton were almost home and dry. In the dying seconds West Park narrowed the gap when winger Jason Whitehead scored.

Full-back Richard Monkhouse added the conversion but the whistle sounded for full-time and Malton had ripped up the form book with an excellent victory.

YORK RI and Harrogate saw their scheduled league matches postponed.

Updated: 09:59 Monday, February 17, 2003