The warm and sunny weather continued on Saturday as Selby welcomed Pontefract for a local derby at Sandhill Lane. The ground was in excellent condition and a large home crowd was eager for a repeat of the victory at Pontefract before Christmas. There was a start at scrum half for second team skipper Harry Clarke, and a move to the second row for Finlay Wotton, who had the opportunity to gain matching cauliflower ears to his brother, Max.

Selby had points on the board immediately. Pontefract were penalised and Charlie Bramley converted a penalty straight in front of the posts. The visitors came at Selby from halfway, with the backs held up just short in the right-hand corner before conceding a penalty. Then came a surprise try. Rather than kick to touch, a tap from Hola Vea saw him make yards to the 22, drawing in a scrambling Pontefract defence. Two quick rucks later and Harry Tunningley was set free on halfway, a combination of speed and muscle leaving defenders scattered in his wake as he crossed for the score. Bramley converted and Selby led 10-0 after just four minutes.

Pontefract repeated their attack to the corner but were comfortably repelled, though the effort saw Joe Ramsay leave the field with a leg injury. The visitors then got a lifeline as winger Gilbert intercepted and ran in from halfway, converting under the posts to make it 10-7.
From possession at the restart, a towering kick from stand-off Oli Parsonage was taken by winger Charlie Bramley deep in the visitors' half. The backs moved the ball right and back again before Bramley touched down wide out, though the conversion drifted across the front of the posts.

On thirty-eight minutes, a melee reminiscent of days gone by broke out in front of the clubhouse. Pontefract hooker Knox was the instigator, with Hola Vea also receiving a yellow card for retaliation. Referee Simon Franks got his decisions spot on, with Kay of Pontefract also spending ten minutes on the sidelines after being identified as the one who started the jostling. The incident seemed to galvanise the visitors and, on the stroke of half time, they worked winger Gilbert into space and he sped in from forty metres for a converted try to make it 15-14 at the break.
Four minutes into the second half, Selby responded. Another high kick from man of the match Parsonage, who showed authority at stand-off all afternoon, drew a knock-on. Ben Poskitt played on and James Robinson was on hand to score, though the conversion was missed, leaving the hosts leading 20-14. Watching on from the excellent vantage point of the Swan's Nest were John Hick and his friends from Yorkshire Rhubarb, while fellow sponsor Nicholas Sykes of Openfield pondered whether to leave the comfort of the clubhouse to join them.

The game then became truncated, with quality rugby at a premium. Selby were off-colour while Pontefract showed the grit and determination of a side fighting a relegation battle. Parsonage produced a try-saving tackle, though the relief was short-lived as Pontefract worked Gilbert over for his hat-trick. With the conversion missed, Selby led by just a single point.

The final ten minutes proved fateful for the Swans. Smart and aggressive rugby from the visitors saw them gain territory, possession and penalties. Two were kicked between the posts and Pontefract took a deserved win against the odds, as Selby tasted home defeat for the first time this season.

Final score: Selby 20–25 Pontefract

Looking to bounce back from the disappointment of their first home defeat of the season, the Swans make the trip to Bradford Salem on Saturday. Selby will draw confidence from their dominant showing when the sides last met, running out 35-15 winners at Sandhill Lane back in December. Salem currently sit eighth in Regional 2 North East, level on points with seventh-placed Malton and Norton, and will be eager to make home advantage count. The Swans, fifth in the table, will be determined to respond with a performance that underlines their top-half credentials. Support is, as always, warmly welcomed.