BRADFORD & Bingley dropped dangerously close to the relegation zone in North One East following a 17-7 defeat at Malton and Norton in another close and bruising encounter.

The Wagon Lane side did have a late opportunity to salvage a losing bonus point, but having subbed off Lance Taylor, the only recognised kicker in the matchday squad, the penalty chance fell to scrum-half, Ben Hockenhull, who could not land the three- pointer.

The Bees started the game with a shuffled side as injuries, unavailability and tactical shifts saw a number of changes to the squad.

Every time the Bees have faced Malton and Norton the pitch has been just this side of a swamp and it is almost inevitable that the game will become a matter of attrition as both sides are necessarily committed to a close quarters game.

Unfortunately the Bees were shorn of three of their bigger heavy lifters as captain Tom Booth, regular number eight Tom Cummins and flanker Ali Macdonald were not available for the trip.

The Bees had also made a key tactical change at number 10, shifting Tongan Under-20 International, Semesi Maasi, in from the centre and moving Taylor to full back.

Maasi is a considerably bigger man than Taylor and perhaps the thought was that he might be better able to plough through the midfield mud.

Indeed the Bees were first on the scoreboard as Cameron Bainbridge charged to the line as the first quarter of the game ended. Taylor stepped up to slot the extras, bringing his points for the season over 90 from his nine appearances.

The bumping and barging up the narrow channels was largely the story of the half and the Bees continued with the brute force up the middle tactic, with little variation from Maasi.

Given the heavy conditions and the slope on the pitch, it was perhaps strange the Bees hardly ever chose to put boot to ball to clear their own lines or indeed to turn the opposition.

The Bees held the lead for all of five minutes before home flanker, Ben Tenge crossed the whitewash, with scrum-half Paul Angus adding the conversion.

The sides turned round at seven apiece and the game continued largely as it had done in the first 40.

The Bees do have players with genuine speed in their line-up and conditions were never going to suit a running game, but the players away from the midfield arm wrestle were given few chances to shine.

It appeared the hosts know how to play their own pitch and the ankle-deep mud than the Bees.

Hugh Gumbs' men were not helped when hooker Will Bentley received a yellow card in the 52nd minute.

While the youngster was in the cooler, Malton were able to capitalise on their one-man advantage as Nathan Pratt crossed to put his side 12-7 up.

The Bees began a series of substitutions at that point, including removing Taylor their chief goal kicker, from the fray.

The changes in personnel did not hugely change the way the game was being played and with 10 minutes left, the home side edged 10 points clear as Alistair Fothergill got over the whitewash.

As the clocked ticked down towards the final whistle, the Bees had that final chance to rescue a bonus point.

Some among the Bees support wondered why Taylor was not reintroduced to try the shot at goal.

But unfortunately the match regulations do not allow a substitution simply to facilitate a shot at goal, so it was left to Hockenhull to have a shy at the sticks, which proved unsuccessful.