Despite a successful win in their opening league game, York arrived at Malton and according to the vast majority of Yorkshire Division One “experts/pundits” as serious underdogs !

After a series of very heavy showers during warm up, mercifully it stopped before kick off and the sun occasionally made an appearance on what turned out to be a very good game of rugby with neither side giving an inch. York won the toss and took the kick off, playing down a very slight slope and against a slight breeze. Malton soon moved up field with a series of well executed pick and drives, as the pressure mounted York were caught off side just inside their own 22. Malton full back Zweli Sodladla converted the penalty 3-0 after three minutes. York then set about Malton, steadily moving down field. Malton’s defence appeared to have everything under control, when Ben Johnson chipped over from a ruck, just outside their 22 close to the touchline. Jon Dawes shot round the pile of bodies and just got his fingertips to the ball to get the touchdown, conversion was missed 3-5. Ten minutes gone and game was really on now.

It then become obvious that neither side was going to give up the ball lightly and it continued throughout the 80 minutes, the tackling was ferocious, with some huge collisions. Inevitably with all the earlier rain the ball was like “a bar of soap” and led to some handling problems. Both teams looking solid in defence.

After 20 minutes or so Sam Thorpe came off with blood pouring from a head cut and while he was patched up, Sam Blain went on. At 30 minutes Ed Proctor came off and Thorpey went back on. Early on, the Malton pack had a slight advantage and continued to attack the try line, however, York were defending well. Finally Malton got their try, from their own scrum on their own 22 metre line, Malton broke away. It went through hands and all the way up the pitch into the York’s half to Sodladla who raced over for a very good try. Conversion scored 10-5 at halftime. Malton stayed out on the pitch and it sounded like they were getting a verbal blasting from their coach. York went off the pitch, presumably to the changing rooms.

A second half ensued which was no less physical or committed than the first. Whatever else had been said in the changing rooms, the York pack had got the message and came out causing a lot more of a threat to the home pack. Importantly, when the York replacements started it did not disrupt the pack. First Dan Coe [whose cousin Alister is a very effective member of the Malton pack] went on to replace JR and then Sam Blain got a breather while Ed Proctor went back on. No sooner had play got back into the Malton 22 than Will Dunlop, who had been a real threat all afternoon, suffered what looked like a nasty injury. Having sportingly been carried off the pitch by 2 Malton players he was replaced by Rafael Guimaraes. Finally after a lot of pressure, York were awarded a penalty in front of the posts, successfully kicked by Jon Dawes 10-8.York again upped the pressure and it seemed to get to Malton who seemed to lose some of their composure. The inevitable frustrations occurred and they conceded several penalties whilst attacking. None of them were in kicking range but York always cleared their lines.

The bulk of the last 20 minutes was played out in mid field with neither side able to break the defences. York’s final replacements were Sam Blain on for Thorpey who was cleaned up again and then back on to replace Adam Bowers. Malton lost their influential full back to the sin bin. In the last minute of the game Malton's frustrations probably cost them the win, when a York player attempted to stop a quick throw, the Malton player threw the ball at him. The referee deemed this to be unsporting conduct and awarded a penalty to York. As in last week’s game out on the touchline but this time under huge pressure, Jon Dawes slotted the ball between the posts. The large Gannock crowd went very quiet and the York travelling supporters went wild. York win 10-11 and go 3rd in the league.