Another important two points keeps the chasing pack at arms length and performances like this for the remainder of the season will surely see West safe. The defence was sound and pressure was converted into points, the Brinkburn side scoring four tries in a league game for only the second time this season.

With the wind in their faces West started explosively. After a powerful rolling maul and storming breaks from Anth Carr and Andrew Davies, quick recycling of the ball allowed Davy Tighe to send Paul Rudd in for the opening try. With the wind causing problems for the kickers Tighe went wide with the conversion but it was just the sort of start the home side needed.

It was a good 7 minutes before Malton & Norton even touched the ball but when they did an indiscretion from Henry Tones allowed full-back Ian Cooke a shot at goal from long range but it was short and wide.

West continued to dominate possession and territory despite the conditions and were finally creating scoring chances and looking far more lively than in the previous two outings. The forwards worked tirelessly all afternoon but it was the backs who finally clicked to create the second try of the day after 23 minutes. A nice running line from Peter Hodgson saw him glide through the Malton defence and score untouched, under the posts. Tighe had no problem adding the conversion and there could be no argument that West deserved every bit of their twelve point lead.

The visitors got back into the game with two Cooke penalties. Tim Sawyer was guilty of handling in the ruck twice to set up the chances and the referee rightly dismissed him to the sin-bin. However, the hosts responded well and while Sawyer watched from the sideline West created two good attacking positions but unfortunately two Tighe penalties missed the target.

The lead was further extended shortly afterwards though as Cooke attempted a chip over Allan Milne but miscued it and the centre collected nicely then won the foot race from half way to leave Tighe with another easy conversion.

With half time approaching Malton kept themselves in the game with another penalty from Cooke following an exchange of punches between hookers Carr and Piercey which landed them both in the sin-bin.

If anything West could have been a little disappointed with the size of their lead such had been their dominance of the first 40 minutes, but clearly Malton were not going to give away anything easily and the game was far from over.

The visitors clearly decided at half time the only way to play into the breeze was to keep the ball in hand and set about running from deep at every opportunity. The home defence made it hard for them to make ground but credit to the Malton pack who kept working and managed to create a few attacking positions. Once such chance looked to have put flanker Richard Webster away but a great covering tackle from Darren Thomas denied him.

A couple of penalties allowed West to clear and the fourth try came after 55 minutes. Rudd was once again involved and clearly his dislocated finger in the warm-up wasn’t causing him too many problems. Some good work in the loose set up a central position inside the 22 and in the standing at fly-half Rudd made a break and popped the ball nicely inside to Henry Tones who finished nicely. Tighe converted.

The final quarter of the game saw Malton dominate possession but for the most part find the West defence tough to break down. Inside the final 10 minutes the West defence was finally breached when Cooke crossed for a try, the full-back capitalising on an overlap after sustained pressure inside the 22. He also added the conversion to take both his personal tally and his teams to 16.

Overall West would be happy with the result and a performance which was probably more dominant than the scoreboard suggests. With Redcar slipping into the bottom three with a loss to Sandal next weeks trip to Mackinlay Park becomes an even bigger game than previously billed. The result will probably depend mostly on which West Hartlepool decide to turn up.

West: Todd, Thomas, Hodgson (Wallis), Milne, Hare, Hauxwell, Tighe (capt), Cullinane, Carr (Phillips), Cholmondeley, Rudd, Davies, Sawyer, Tones (Henderson), Boatman

Tries: Rudd, Hodgson, Milne, Tones
Cons: Tighe 3

Sinbin: Sawyer, Carr

Malton & Norton: Cooke, Cowton, Aitken, D Webster, Stephenson, Crebe (capt), Newsome, Vaughan, Piercey, Turnbull, Foster, Dobson, Ryan, R Webster, Mitchell
Reps: Gilbertson, Stephenson, Robson

Try: Cooke
Con: Cooke
Pens: Cooke 3

Sinbin: Piercey, Turnbull

Pens: West 9 M&N 10