Selby’s brief tenure as table-toppers of Yorkshire One came to an unceremonious end at the hands of newly-promoted bottom-dwellers Roundhegians at Sandhill Lane on Saturday, and more emphatically than the score-line suggests - with the Swans’ only consolations being a losing bonus point; a lesson in ball control and game management from the Loiners; and a nice suntan!

With Liam Hogan and Alex Webster, two of Selby’s more influential players, missing through injury Selby looked considerably weaker than last week, and so it unfortunately proved as they produced a lethargic and disjointed display, misfiring throughout and barely managing to string more than a couple of phases of play together all day.

Roundhegians started well, into the breeze, and while an early penalty sailed wide, they quickly made amends as Elliot Jackson sliced Selby open down the middle with worrying ease for a 0-5 lead. Selby at least had scrum dominance and, thanks to a prodigious penalty count in their favour, they camped on the visitors’ line - but only managed to muck up several gold-plated scoring chances, before the forwards took the handling woes out of the equation to muscle over from a lineout for a Sam Broughton try for 5-5.

Straight from the restart though, Selby showed their lack of game management nous by ignoring the breeze at their backs to instead try to run from their own 22; before predictably losing the ball, and then compounding the mistake by giving away an unforced penalty in front of their posts for the cheapest of three points to Alex Jones, to restore Roundhegians’ lead at 5-8. A great run and alleged (by himself!) touchdown from Tom Edwards was then denied by the only one who matters, Mr Referee, before some excellent sustained handling and recycling from Roundhegians’ backs and forwards alike saw then send in Dave Gregory for a great try out wide - and into a thoroughly deserved 5-13 half time lead.

Selby’s troubles continued unabated into the second half, where they continued to dominate possession, but without then being able to maintain any momentum - before the inevitable errors would give Roundhegians some easy escapes with breeze-assisted kicks downfield. And from one of these forays, the visitors showed Selby how it should be done by retaining the ball for long enough for a gap to open up to register another try, to Tom Bennett, to stretch their lead to 5-18 on the hour.

With Selby’s prospects looking terminal, they suddenly sparked back into life with a super blind side break from Jay Robinson and replacement prop Adam Leetham, which was then miraculously recycled successfully for flanker Edwards to dot down (without dispute this time) for 10-18 and a glimmer of hope. And then Selby were definitely right back in it as willowy fly half Henry Wright broke beautifully up the middle, to feed Danny Wilkinson and then take the return pass, for a fine try and 15-18 score with minutes to go. Further Selby errors appeared to have scuppered any late chance of a win, before more Roundhegians’ indiscipline then gave Selby two gilt-edged invitations to steal it at the end, with a 5 metre line out and then a 5 metre scum – both of which the Swans, in keeping with their whole match performance, messed up immediately and gloriously, for a 15-18 final score.

Selby are now away at another newly promoted team, Old Rishworthians, on Saturday and will be hoping for a better performance – and with the club aiming to put out another three teams on the day, great credit must go to all involved at Sandhill Lane for such a superb effort under such difficult recent circumstances.