Selby A 26 Scunthorpe A 15

Selby A 26 Scunthorpe A 15

Selby’ s second string have had a tough time this season due partly to the knock on effect of the first team losing players, but also as a result of the success of last season’s promotion pitting them against teams who’s first teams play several leagues above Selby.
So this first league win of the league season was greeted with great joy & celebration, not least by a sizeable crowd approaching those enjoyed by the recent four nation’s competition.
The win was well worked & well deserved & featured a potent mixture of youth & experience with several players knocking hard on the first team door& little respect being given to the opposition.
Indeed had the team not been on the wrong side of some eccentric decisions from the match official, the margin of difference could have been far greater.
The home scrum was solid from the start & totally dominant by the end of the game, with the lineout being a little more fragile, but it was from a throw in that set up position for the portly, but still skilful hooker Paul North to force over.
Scunthorpe retaliated with a penalty, but North broke in midfield and from the breakdown a Selby heel against the head gave the field position for a penalty from off half Jordan Barton.
There followed a superb score as gargantuan second row Martin Protheroe, posing as a winger, broke up the middle, the ball was quickly recycled and spun right across the threes for flying winger Nick Firth to hurtle in.
It was all Selby with a good break from classy full back Tom Ambler, some surging runs from powerful centre Christian Townend but only another penalty from Barton to show.
There was then a period of pressure from the visitors but although the Cygnets defended well the added pressure of the mounting penalty count, saw the defence stretched and finally broken with a score by winger Swift.
As Selby continued to suffer the wrath of the man in the middle inevitably the line cracked again with off half Gabbler claiming the score.
At last Selby’s discipline tightened, so did their hold on the game & as they forced ionto the opposition 22 a superb scrum drove over with the superb no 8 Ben Booth claiming the score. Then another superb movement started by prop T Maclean and carried on by youngster Jay Robinson sharing the openside with compatriot Adam Wass, and finished in style by Firth
As an indication of the future strength of the club this performance showed that this is very rosy indeed for many years to come, and that the rest of this season should see more success.
Team : Tom Ambler, Nick Firth, Christian Townend , Iain Adamson, Martin Protheroe, Jordan Barton, Luke Nicholson, Ben Booth, Duncan Phillips, Adam Wass, Mark Rollinson, Brendan Lanaghan, Tieriani MacLean, Paul North, Matty O’Connor, Anthony Wass, Tom Bell.