A testing encounter at Sandhill Lane saw Selby U-15s advance to the next round of the Yorkshire Cup with a deserved victory.
Pitted against a dogged Beverley team, Selby had just enough quality at the right times to deliver the win in the end.
After a competitive first 15 minutes both sides tested one another out, both pushing for the first score. Happily it was Selby who crossed with Almasri deservedly getting the try for the Swans in the corner.
Playing against the wind in the first half, Selby had to work twice as hard to get up pitch but after a period of good pressure, Rooke crossed for the second after some excellent driving mauls. The forwards maintained real control throughout these phases to ensure Selby doubled their lead.
Half time arrived with the score at 10-0 to the home side and both teams were justified in feeling that the game wasn’t done yet. Selby were still down to 14 after a yellow for Usher at the end of the first, from a referee who knew the way to his whistle.
Beverley then managed a try of their own but pulled the conversion left which put the game back in the balance somewhat.
Walker playing at 10 for Selby began to use the conditions cleverly and on more than one occasion put pressure on Beverley with kicks behind their back line. One return saw Beverley get back upfield but knock on. They continued to press but Usher, now playing at scrum half, saw a narrow blind side opportunity and set off. Running at full tilt, he covered half the pitch to jink over for the third try. He also took the conversion to put Selby 17-5 up.
Although they didn’t give up, this was the score that took the wind out of Beverley’s sails. Another well judged kick over the top coupled with a moment of indecision from Beverley, saw Ward touch down for the fourth after an excellent chase.
A final score of 22-5 was just reward for a team that did enough but never quite hit the heights they’re capable of. However, it does mean that the u-15s can look towards 2026 with confidence that they’re in good shape for the challenges ahead. Congratulations to all the players for their efforts so far this season and they now get to enjoy a well-deserved Christmas break.