North One East: Malton & Norton 24 Cleckheaton 41

THE break from league action the weekend before did Cleckheaton no harm at all as they built on their assured performance against Huddersfield YMCA with a decisive 41-24 North One East victory over Malton & Norton.

The last time these sides played each other was just over three and half years ago, the week after Cleckheaton were crowned as champions of North One East, earning promotion to National League Three.

Cleckheaton went on to win that game 63-21, and they put in a performance of a similar calibre last weekend, scoring six tries despite being reduced to 14 men for ten minutes of each half.

Mike Swetman, who celebrated his 37th birthday the day after the fixture, opened the scoring with a penalty goal.

The same experienced boot then dabbed a delicate kick through for winger Pat Foulstone to score a try after good work from the forwards.

Cleckheaton then extended their advantage when a penalty was kicked to the corner. Ben Thrower was accurate with his throw and Ryan Piercy, was propelled upwards by Paul Turner and Jack Seddon to claim the ball cleanly and set up a catch and drive, with Brad Marsden diving over the whitewash.

The visitors then not only weathered a minor storm as Jack Bickerdike was sin-binned under the RFU’s unintentional high-tackle rule, but went further ahead as Foulstone went in for his second try.

A kick upfield was chased by centre Liam Darville and, despite getting flattened by a Malton defender, he managed to hack the ball on for Foulsotone to gather for an excellent try, Swetman converting from ten metres in from the touchline.

Malton hit back when a planned backs move created a gap for Zweli Sodladla to glide through for a try but Cleckheaton still held the upper hand at the brewak at 20-5.

The hosts gave themselves a glimmer of hope with an early converted try in the second half via No 8 Ali Coe, but any thoughts of a turnaround were quickly dispelled as Cleckheaton introduced two substitutes, five minutes apart, who both scored with their first touch of the game.

James Crowther was first to enter the fray and went in for Cleckheaton’s bonus-point try after picking up a pass over 20 metres out, on the back of a similar length run from Marsden.

Swetman converted that, and the try a short time later when replacement Ronan Evans was the beneficiary of a pass from Mikey Hayward, who had stepped inside one defender after gathering a superbly weighted crossfield kick from Swetman.

Hayward then turned from try provider to try-scorer, going in for Cleck’s sixth of the afternoon with a dance down the left touchline which could not be contained.

Leading 41-12, the visitors then had Swetman sin-binned on 65 minutes, and Malton took advantage of their additional numbers when winger Tom Foan went in for their third try, converted by James Bulmer.

With time almost up, Malton’s desire to get something out of the game was rewarded with a bonus-point try by Ali Fothergill - small consolation against a Cleckheaton side who are starting to look more and more polished as the season moves into December.