Old Crossleyans remain second from bottom of Regional 2 North East following Saturday’s disappointing 40-7 defeat in a crucial match at Malton and Norton.

The Crocs found themselves trailing 21-0 within the first 30 minutes. Struggling to gain any foothold in the game, they were under constant pressure.

However, a crunching tackle from man of the match Ellis Nuttall just before half-time denied the hosts a fourth try and a potential bonus point before the break.

A moment of brilliance from Josh Hunt shattered Malton and Norton’s defensive line as he powered through before offloading to Jack Hammond.

Action from Old Crossleyans' trip to Malton and Norton.

placeholder image — Action from Old Crossleyans' trip to Malton and Norton.

Hammond quickly returned the ball to Hunt, who then found Matthew Beswick in support. Beswick raced through unchallenged to score a stunning converted try, the best of the game.

Frustration boiled over for the Crocs as a yellow card on the hour mark left them a man down, allowing Malton and Norton to capitalise and score two more tries.

Crocs came close to scoring a second try just before the final whistle but opted to kick possession away, concluding a poor day for the visitors.

Crocs were missing several key senior players, a frustrating setback given their current league position. Adding to their woes, a knee injury to Joel McFarlane could spell the end of his season, while the club bids a sad farewell to Topo Busso.