SCARBOROUGH BEATEN BY HIGHFLYING MALTON
‘ The visitors struggled at the early set-scrums, but just about held their own’
Scarborough fell 12 points behind in their derby tie at Malton, and though they battled back they came up short as the home side won a pulsating clash at the Gannock 29-21.
The Seasiders lost the services of influential wing Harry Domett, who broke a finger in a domestic mishap late on Friday, so Joe Lenton started on the left wing.
Scarborough’s kick-off was fielded just outside the Malton 22 and they spent the first couple of minutes there.
However when full-back Sizwe Zondo broke from deep, play was taken from 22 to 22, and from possession just short of the Scarborough line, open side flanker Sam Triffitt burrowed over in the fourth minute for a 5-0 lead.
Winger Ian Cooke missed the conversion.
The visitors struggled at the early set- scrums but just about held their own; however they retai ned possession with a series of pick- and- goes and looked good in the close-quarter exchanges.
But having spent 10 minutes in home territory they lost possession and once again Malton broke from deep down their right flank and having exerted pressure at the other end, Triffitt went over for a carbon-copy of his first score in the 14th minute.
Cooke added the extras for a 12-0 Malton lead.
Scarborough had a plenty of territorial possession going into the second quarter, but despite good work by their forwards and slick handling from the backs they just couldn’t breach a solid Malton defence.
Camped on the home line, something had to give and when number eight Matthew Else broke from the base and was stopped near the line, a double dummy by scrum-half Martin Robinson at the resulting ruck saw the big scrumhalf outfox three defenders to score wide on the right in the 27th minute.
Full- back Tom Harrison landed the two-pointer and Scarborough trailed 12-7.
The half ended with a couple of yellow cards; Scarborough prop Wesley Langkilde went in the 39th minutes for tackling without the use of his arms, foll owed by Malton flanker Tom Lowry on the stroke of half-time.
Not for the first time this season Scarborough lost concentration at the beginning of the second half and conceded with less than a minute of the second 40 played when number eight Ali Coe went over for Malton following a bullocking run by centre Josh Heggie.
Cooke added the conversion for 19-7.
The third quarter belonged to the visitors with their setpieces working and skipper Tom Ratcliffe, fly-half Tomasz Chadwick and the busy Tom Harrison at full-back taking advantage of clean possession to run some great lines.
A looping run from midfield by Ratcliffe took him almost to the Malton line, but once there a combination of solid defence and a lack of composure conspired to prevent a score with the Seasiders adjudged to be held up over the line twice.
The visitors camped on the Malton line, but surge after surge was stopped short