A Selby Warriors ARLC speed merchant has laughed off the most inauspicious - and totally hilarious - moment of his rugby league career.

Game for a laugh Wayne Fennell could see the funny side as he relived the moment in which he came a cropper during Saturday's Yorkshire League match at Ackworth.

Fennell was just about to score one of the tries of the season for his team as he out-sprinted the entire defence from his own goal-line to gather a kick before rounding the full-back.

But with the line beckoning, his shorts came down and tripped him up.

He did get up and indeed managed to cross the try-line under pressure but, to add insult to injured pride, the referee deemed he had performed a double-movement and ruled out the score.

"It was the last tackle and we were still in our own ten-metre line," Fennell told the Evening Press.

"The ball was on our left-hand side and we kicked it forward across the field. I ran between their centre and winger, and I side-stepped the full-back.

"I was going to score but I lost my footing. I don't really remember what it was because I was just wanting to score the try.

"I got back up and got over the line but the ref called it a double-movement. When I got up my shorts were around my ankles, but I thought the opposition had pulled them down when they were tackling me as I crossed the line."

Team-mate Dave Sowden said: "His shorts came down to below his knees as he was running. It was hilarious. He's taken a bit of stick for it so it's a good job he's got a sense of humour."

The Warriors, who were playing Stanningley today, had given a superb display against third-placed Ackworth to take the division two points with a 22-8 away win - with Fennell making up for his earlier abashment with two stunning individual tries in the second half.

The hosts had started the brightest and raced into an 8-0 lead. But they seemed to burn themselves out and Selby came into their own.

Colin Barker got them on the scoreboard with a superb try from a break by the evergreen Bob Hardy, with Fennell goaling.

The comedy moment occurred before half-time while Selby were still trailing, but they turned it round after the break, with Fennell's two tries being goaled by impressive centre Mark Hanson.

Sean Barker, Andrew Fester and Bob Hardy kept hammering away at the home defence and Mark Allen capitalised with a try in the corner to cap a fine display.

Man of the match was Carl Bardauskas followed by that man Fennell.

Updated: 10:31 Saturday, March 01, 2003