Selby RUFC 27 – 17 Goole RUFC

Report by Ian Marlow (Posted by Stephen Ward)

Selby resumed league battle on Saturday against close friends and rivals Goole, following their promotion last season, for the first time in eight years - and the large derby crowd were royally entertained with a pulsating encounter that was only decided by the last move of the match.

Goole’s young, mobile team started ominously as, after Selby’s obligatory early unforced error presented them with A1 field position, their excellent playmaker Rhys Moore sliced through the midfield for 0-7 after only two minutes. Josh Cruise reduced the arrears two minutes later with a penalty following a breakdown infringement but Goole continued to run the show being quicker in both thought and deed and it was no surprise when they outflanked the Swans’ defence for an unconverted try in the corner, to Luke Beecher, ten minutes later.

The introduction of Rob Bourke and James Blaymire from the subs bench shortly after brought an improvement in Selby’s go-forwardness, but they continued to be profligate with the steady supply of good ball being provided by their dominant scrummage, until at last a good break by the Cruises down the wing was properly recycled for James Robinson to blast over under the sticks for 10-12 after 25 minutes. A brief discussion and contretemps in the front row (probably over Schrodinger’s cat paradox) led to Andrew Tunningley and a fellow Goole miscreant being binned for ten minutes, before Bourke had Selby down to only thirteen men for another ten-minute misdemeanour shortly after – but Moore crucially misses the chance to extend Goole’s lead as he missed the subsequent and straightforward penalty, to, leave the scores at 10-12 at half time.

Goole continued to be quicker and slicker in the second half but Selby nicked the lead against the run of play as Duncan Hardy made good ground up the middle, before Cruise J delivered a delightful kick into the corner for Joe Ramsay to win the race to touch down. An excellently touchline conversion, followed by a great long-range penalty from Cruise stretched the lead to 20-12 - and contrasted starkly with Moore’s placekicking difficulties for Goole, as he missed another sitter of a penalty that would have reduce the lead to just one score. With time running out, Goole threw the kitchen sink at it and only last ditch interventions from Ramsay and Danny Wilkinson denied them tries before Selby paid the price for a slew of unnecessary infringements which gave Goole repeated possessions near the Swans’ line - from which Will Devenish eventually crossed. But again, the simple conversion went wide leaving the score at 20-17 with five minutes remaining.

It was then heart-in-mouths time for Swans’ supporters to the end as Goole recycled time and again to attack out wide, with only desperate defending keeping them out, before in the last move of the match Goole looked odds on to score the match-winning try down the right flank – only for Selby winger Jack Bodman to intercept the final pass and, roared home by the Selby massive, pin his ears back to go the length of the field for the match-sealing try.

So another battling win for Selby in a match they could easily have lost and a rather unfair ‘nil points’ for Goole who contributed magnificently to an enthralling match, enabling Wally Burton to present the Tommy Burton trophy to Selby skipper Josh Cruise for safekeeping - at least until the re-match at their place in February! Selby are again at home this Saturday (kick off, 3pm) against West Leeds, and it must surely be a better bet than going shopping!