SELBY 20 HULLENSIANS 19
NORTHERN DIVISION YORKSHIRE LEAGUE DIVISION 2.

The strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde has nothing on the change in attitude from one week to the next of this Selby squad. From the apparent lack of interest shown in last week’s performance to this week’s display, full of character, stubborness, and a hungry desire to win was truly a remarkable transformation.
The first half was almost totally dominated by Hullensians, with their front row causing major problems and an early penalty reflected this domination, and inevitably their lead was extended with another from Jamie Gill following Andrew Pocklingtons yellow card for killing the ball to prevent a potential score.
Things looked ominous for the Swans at this point but they displayed their true spirit with a massive defensive display, then once Pocklington returned their confidence lifted & they completed the half pressing the visitor’s line.
To the Sandhill Lane faithful the battering which their team had withstood felt as though the defecit could have been twenty points, not just the bare six which their team had actually conceded.

This truly was a match of differing fractions, as the home side continued with the form of the closing half and began to display the talents which are abundant within the squad.
Off half Iain Adamson reduced the lead with a penalty early in the half, then a wonderful move, started by full back Ben Lunt, continued by centres Sam Weller and Alex Webster was finished by the athletic Antipodean front rower, Duncan Hardy, with Adamson converting.
Even losing the energy & dynamism of back row James “ Blaze “ Blaymire to the seemingly compulsory yellow did not seem to slow the buzz of the Selby boys and as they hammered their opponents line, a pick up and drive from the back of the scrum by huge No 8 Martin Protheroe saw him cross the line but the apparent clear score was denied by the clearly unsighted referee Mr Richard Downing. From the ensuing 5m scrum with the line seemingly at their mercy, the ball was intercepted by full back Chris Smith who outsprinted the entire defence for a 95m run to the line with Gill converting.
As Blaymire returned the balance swayed back to Selby as the Hull side lost flanker James Krebs to the third yellow of the day, in a match which was always competetive, but played in great spirit, and a great move in the backs saw star finisher, Lunt score wide out to put his side within a score.
Then a breakaway move ended with yet another Gill penalty extending the Hull lead. Selby though, were not finished and with substitutions lifting the power of the front row, mounting pressure saw the skills of replacement No 8 Ben Booth finish with a fine try, the overlap created by quick hands across the backs with the final move of the game.
With victories against teams from a higher league under their belt and wins like this against form teams within their own league there is no reason why this team need fear anyone throughout the rest of the season.
The long trip to Skipton is the start of the rest of the season and with the Dalesmen getting back to full strength a stern test is to be expected.

SELBY LINE-UP:

15 Full Back Lunt B
14 Wing Saunders O
13 Centre Webster A
12 Centre Weller S
11 Wing Arthur A
10 Stand Off Adamson I
9 Scrum Half Daniels J
1 Prop Pocklington A
2 Hooker Randell P (Captain)
3 Prop Hardy D
4 Lock Toye M
5 Lock Cicero J
6 Flanker Brown K
7 Flanker Blaymire J
8 No 8 Protheroe M

Substitutes

Booth B (For Protheroe M – 56 Minutes)
Bell T (For Cicero J – 63 Minutes)
Townend C (For Randell P – 72 Minutes)