MALTON & Norton RUFC were punished for giving away too many penalties in their 24-12 defeat at Bradford Salem in Yorklshire Two.

The match was a dress rehearsal for their forthcoming Senior Vase clash and the men from the Gannock will have to improve their discipline if they are to progress towards Twickenham.

They were guilty of conceding far too many penalties at the ruck allowing Salem to take full advantage in the early stages.

As early as the seventh minute flanker Lucas Combes was sin-binned for handling in a ruck. Using the stiff breeze to full advantage Salem fly-half Booth put the kick perfectly into the corner. A clean catch and drive from five metres produced an unconverted try.

Ten minutes later Malton again conceded a penalty and the result was exactly the same except this time Booth converted.

Duncan Foster was stealing line-out ball at will for Malton and from one such line-out hooker Carl Muscroft charged up the blind side and made good ground before a series of rucks and mauls on the Salem line should have produced the all important try Malt needed. Instead another penalty was conceded and Salem cleared.

A break in mid-field by centre Cameron Madden broke the first line of defence to set up a second phase from which quick ball was released to full-back Ian Cooke who crossed in the corner to get Malton on the board.

However, with the interval approaching, another needless penalty was conceded and Booth added the extra points to give Salem a 15-5 interval lead.

Within two minutes of the restart, Salem scored again and despite having the advantage of the strong wind Malton failed to capitalise in the way Salem had done in the first period.

On one of the few occasions they did get the ball into the corner the outcome was a try. Foster took a clean catch and his colleagues moved the whole mass forward for prop forward Ed Gwilliam to touch down. Cooke converted and Malton had a fighting chance of salvaging something with 25 minutes left.

Malton opted to run the ball instead of taking a penalty shot in front of the posts 30 metres out but a dropped ball meant that Salem were able to clear in comfort.

Another dropped ball in the Salem 22-metre area was hacked forward by Salem and although Cooke appeared to have saved the day with some remarkable covering, his team mates again transgressed at the ruck. Salem quickly took the kick and crashed over for the final score of the game.