MALTON & Norton RUFC bounced back to winning ways in North One East with a 40-22 comeback victory against bottom team Consett.

The Ryedale outfit had perished 38-0 at Driffield seven days earlier and trailed 14-0 here too but this time a six-try show brought a bonus-point win lifting them to seventh.

Youngster Freddie Lockwood – shortly after coming on in the second half - and Ollie Hancock bagged doubles, while Rob Featherstone and Matt Bowman had earlier crossed and Paul Angus added five of six conversions.

Malt now have a week off - they have conceded their Yorkshire Cup quarter-final away to Sheffield which was scheduled for this Saturday - before resuming league action away to fourth-placed Morley on March 2.

The omens were not good for Malton - showing several changes to the side that endured a drubbing at Driffield - when they gave away two penalties inside five minutes thus giving Consett field position.

On 10 minutes, the visitors duly scored a try and conversion, and Malton suffered again at the restart, the kick not going the requisite 10 metres, with Consett again taking up the cudgels and advancing to the hosts’ line.

This time they gained no result and Malton’s pack woke from their torpor, with Will Hughes, Tom Lowry and the dependable Bowman to the fore as they drove downfield.

However, an easily read long pass was intercepted and a breakaway try seemed inevitable. Miraculous scrambled defence by the youngsters in Malt’s back division denied them that time but, with play now back in the home 22, the inevitable converted try soon came.

The anxious home crowd had an eye on the floodgates but they cheered up on the half-hour when a penalty to the corner gave a solid lineout platform and the ensuing rumble to the line gave Featherstone his 10th try of the season.

Six minutes later an almost identical try was the reward for the forward unit with Bowman this time claiming the honours, the scores now level.

However, four minutes before half-time, when Malton should have looked after the ball, the otherwise excellent Hughes spilled it and from the ensuing scrum a move to the left and a mistake in midfield gave Consett an easy penalty to go in 17-14 up.

Malt tweaked things on half-time as Tom Smith replaced Charlie Corner, and the interval pep talk invigorated the pack who came out of their blocks as a unit, clever interlinking giving them good position.

On 45 minutes, Hancock dashed over for his first.

Acting skipper Sean Emms came off on 55 minutes for Ted Hughes, while local boy Lockwood - currently a pupil at the Barnard Castle School which produced former England players Rob Andrew and the Underwood brothers - also entered the fray.

Within seven minutes the deceptively quick schoolboy bagged a brace of tries to give his team a 33-17 lead.

Malton, now with the win assured and bonus point in the bag, let a few errors creep in and better opposition would have made them pay.

Consett did get one try, but Malton closed the game with a fine solo effort down the touchline by Hancock.

Sadly for Malton, Lockwood will return to Barnard Castle School after half-term.