Selby’s attempts to do the double over local rival Goole looked odds on with an hour played as they built a comfortable lead – but then the wheels fell off as a resurgent Goole stormed back into the match to close the deficit, and then win it with a last-minute penalty.

Storm Dennis had left the pitch soggy but perfectly playable and whilst it was a bit breezy both teams coped well to produce a thrilling encounter for the large crowd, particularly the Goole lot! Selby started very well though and with their scrummage dominant and Josh Cruise’s kicking game in top order, all of the early pressure was from Selby – and scrum-half Danny Wilkinson drove over for an early 0-7 lead. More pressure from Selby’s scrummage earned another Cruise penalty for 0-10 after fifteen minutes, and when tyro prop Max Wotton was driven over by the pack following yet another scrum penalty kick to the corner, Selby were flying at 0-15 and it was starting to look all too easy.

Selby’s discipline, or lack off, then reared its ugly head with Cruise despatched to the sin bin for tackling too hard – and Goole used the extra man immediately as they handled well down the line to send their right winger in for 5-15. The rest of the half was all Selby though as they played as controlled a game as seen for quite a while; and the Selby scrum went over again for Jay Robinson to touch down for 5-20. Another couple of good chances came and went for Selby - but such was their first half dominance, and Goole’s apparent lack of promise, that it didn’t seem to matter that Selby should probably have been even further ahead at half-time.

Not a lot happened for the first twenty minutes of the second half as stalemate was reached in mid-field. Goole picked up the pace with some lengthy, and strong, ball carrying but Selby matched it with a sterling defensive effort - and when Goole did turn over possession Cruise pinging them back into their corner to re-start from square one.

Come the hour though, and just as it was looking like Goole would surely run out of time to come back, Selby’s disciplinary nemesis came a-calling, again! A senseless sin-binning for gobbing off at the ref, together with the associated 20 metre march up-field, suddenly gave Goole good field position, and an extra man – and after another flurry of Selby penalties, over they went again to close to 12-20. With the pressure now rising on Selby, they did what they usually do in such circumstances – panic! Suddenly it was all Goole, and with their blond bombshell back-rowers starting to run riot; and the Goole pack winning every breakdown; and with Selby continuing to earn the ref’s displease with several more penalties; Selby were in full Corporal Jones mode. Selby’s tackling was at least holding up though – but then that too went AWOL as, from an innocuous mid-field position, the Goole winger ambled through three non-existent tackles for a score under the posts for 19-20.

Time was still on Selby’s side though and, while they were unable to contain Goole in their own half from the re-start, with the final whistle imminent they turned Goole possession over, and then had the chance to hammer the ball downfield and hang on for victory – except they ran it instead; got turned over; gave away another penalty; and Goole kicked it to earn their rewards for dogged determination with a 22-20 comeback win.

Selby’s next league game is away at West Leeds on 29 February, kick off 14:15.