Although Selby had wrapped up a 4 try bonus point within 3 minutes of the start of the second half, it was not until the very last minute of the game that the win was confirmed when Ben Booth calmly slotted a penalty awarded for a nasty head high tackle on Selby winger Ollie Saunders who looked poised to break away to score.

The penalty count against Goole, who conceded 20 whilst Selby only gave away 7, gives an indication of the way that the visitors approached the game, determined at all costs to prevent Selby getting any momentum into their play.

Within 2 minutes of the kick off Selby had to replace skipper Paul Randell for a 5 minute spell whilst a head wound was cleaned and bandaged as Goole set off all guns blazing and belying their status at the foot of the Yorkshire 2 table without a win or a point from any of their previous games. A penalty after 12 minutes by Rhys Moore was followed after just 16 minutes by a try to veteran forward Rob Shand and Goole had a deserved 8 point lead.

A devastating 15 minute spell of rugby either side of the half time break saw Selby open a useful lead at 24 points to 8 courtesy of 4 tries and 2 conversions. First to score was Martin Protheroe after 31 minutes when, following a series of penalties against the visitors, a quick tap created the space for a deft offload by Duncan Hardy to give Protheroe the scoring pass. Within 5 minutes Joe Butcher, operating at full back, crossed for the first of his 2 tries when a break by Ben Lunt was carried on by Hardy who again supplied the scoring pass. Hardy was to complete a hat trick of assists in the second minute of time added on, feeding fly half Iain Adamson to cross under the posts. Ben Booth’s first successful kick of the afternoon gave Selby a flattering 17-8 interval advantage which was extended by 7 points just 3 minutes into the second half.

By this point Goole had been made to pay for their lack of discipline by having Rhys Moore yellow carded and Selby took advantage of the extra man, another quick tap penalty and swift handling creating the space wide out for Joe Butcher to claim his second try to make up for the disappointment of having one disallowed just moments before. Booth’s well struck conversion gave Selby the relative safety of a 16 point advantage, but Goole were not prepared to just lie down and struck back through number 8 Olly White following a series of drives at the Selby line. An exchange of penalties maintained an 11 point gap in Selby’s favour but nerves began jangling after 66 minutes when a poor kick out of defence presented Goole with a 5 metre scrum from which Craig Fenton forced his way over. Moore’s conversion closed the gap to just 4 points, which would have been enough for Goole to secure their first league point of the season; however 2 further instances of indiscipline presented Ben Booth the chance to extend the Selby lead to 10 points with two well struck penalties in the closing minutes of the game.

A relieved Selby skipper Paul Randell was later awarded the Tommy Burton memorial trophy by visiting President Hughie Walton of Goole and Ben Booth picked up the man of the match award from match sponsor Tom Bayston, proprietor of the Park Lodge Shooting School.