Selby Pens u18s v Sandal

Sandal Beasts vs Selby Pens (Under 18s)
60 – 0

15 of the Selby Pens Under 18s turned out to Sandal for a Yorkshire Cup Area 6 match with coaches Mark Tanner and Josh Ryder. A fortnight since saw Sandal vs Selby with a Selby defeat in a club friendly. Today, a bright and sunny day belied the sadness of the match in which a minutes applause was held in memory of Brooke Firth, an under 18s player who tragically died this week and in support of her family, friends and teammates.

A strong start from Sandal brought heavy pressure forwards and an early try. A powerful, well-organised and mobile Sandal Team scored another 5 tries in the first half followed by one conversion.

The second half followed in much the same vein with Sandal outclassing Selby by a fair way. Four tries and another four conversions proved an overwhelming win for the Beasts. The opposing team were strong in the tackle, quick and alert when tackling, rucking and getting players over the ball. However, Selby Under 18s are still a team with room for development, good team spirit and plenty of enthusiasm.

The strength and circumstances of play today perhaps overwhelmed Selby, despite this, Jemma Fieldsend gave a number of hard tackles with her kicking improving throughout the match. Ellie Green had numerous good runs and strong tackles, and new additions to the team Ellie and Sophie Naylor also showed their commitment and passion for the game. It is important for us to keep our confidence and determination even in the face of such strong opposition and to make the most of the opportunities offered to us throughout the game.

The Pens appreciated the support from Saffron who came to cheer us on at this away match despite being unable to play due to a back injury. Further injuries sustained this week included Beth who had to leave the field due to a knee injury (though bravely started the match by playing with broken fingers) and Maria who sustained an injury to her leg requiring medical attention (hope all is well, Maria).

Next week Selby Under 18s Girls play at Malton. C’mon girls!