Selby RUFC 31 v 19 Wheatley Hills RUFC

Report by Ian Marlow

Selby finally opened their league account at the ninth time of asking with an entertaining win against fellow strugglers Wheatley Hills to not only drag themselves off the bottom of the league but also give renewed hopes for the rest of the season ahead. The game also contained, according to long-time resident club historian Stephen Ward, an historic first for Selby of having three brothers playing in the same first team match at the same time.

In near perfect conditions at Sandhill Lane it was Wheatley who controlled early possession and territory as Selby continued with their proclivity to concede errors and penalties and only a relatively easy penalty miss from Hills, followed later by a similar miss from stand-in Selby penalty taker Alex Webster, keeping the scoreboard inactive. With Wheatley fielding a gargantuan pack who, somewhat surprisingly given their largely un-athletic appearances didn’t seem to suffer any lack of fitness or mobility throughout the match, the Selby forward eight endured a challenging physical test all afternoon in both the tight and loose. However the Selby forwards, with Duncan Hardy leading the way with some thumping tackles, fronted up admirably to prevent the Wheatley juggernaut from gaining any real ascendency.

Finally, after half an hour and several further handling errors from both teams a moment of skill as great hands from the Selby back line moved the ball wide from a line out for Webster to give Harry Cruise enough space to weave his way over for a well taken try in the corner. However, Selby then immediately reverted to type as two more lost possessions in a row gifted Wheatley easy field position and an eventual opportunity for their big boys to get a nudge on from a 5 yard scrum to retake the lead with a converted try. With Wheatley now resorting to the simple but effective tactic of kicking deep and waiting for the almost inevitable Selby errors the half looked to be going against Selby - and when Selby conceded a penalty and a yellow card in front of the posts with time nearly up an increased half time deficit looked almost inevitable. However, Wheatley missed the simple kick and then, in extended second half injury time, Selby turned the match and the score line around as first Webster, belying his earlier kicking uncertainty, hammered over a monster from near half way to be followed by Liam Hogan setting up Jack Cockerham who unceremoniously bullocked his way through half the Wheatley back line to crash over in the corner for a 13-7 half time lead.

Selby’s resurgence continued immediately after the break as Rob Fox expertly caught the kick off and took the ball deep into Hills’ territory before backs and forwards combined to give Adam Leetham the chance to crash over from short range to increase the lead to 20-7. With Selby now seemingly in control, Cockerham repeated his first half effort with another thunderous run to score from half way to gain the four try bonus point. It was then Wheatley’s chance to show their mettle as, from deep in their own half, they came right back into the match with a stunning solo effort from their left wing, eclipsing even Cockerham’s efforts, with a blazing run in for a converted try.

With their supporters now nervously watching the clock Selby failed to finish the game off as, despite a period of sustained pressure, a combination of desperate Wheatley defence and somewhat clunky Selby handling failed to yield any further scores. However, despite yet another silly, self-inflicted yellow card for Selby, two further penalties from substitute Scott Hunt extended the Selby lead away from Wheatley before the moment of history arrived with the combination of substitutions leading to three Selby brothers being on the pitch at the same time. Parents and Selby stalwarts Meryl and Steve McCoy watching from the sideline must have been bursting with pride as sons Charlie, Millar and Jordan all played full and important parts in the Selby win.

So, relief at last for Selby at not only gaining the much needed maximum five points from the fixture but also at the much improved team performance, particularly showing a cutting edge that has been largely absent so far this season. Next week’s match away at league leaders York will be a tough test but Selby now go there with renewed optimism and with the confidence of a recent victory behind them.