SELBY dropped into the North One East relegation zone after North Ribblesdale snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in stoppage time.

Leading 14-10 after eight minutes of time added on for injury, Selby had just repelled a series of five-metre scrums and cleared the ball off the pitch when the referee awarded a final scrum.

The heel was won safely and the Ribblesdale backs created space for scrum half David Fox to squeeze in at the corner.

The missed conversion was of no consequence and the atmosphere among the Selby fans quickly descended from pleasure to pain.

The home side had taken the lead when Josh Cruise kicked his first penalty after just three minutes.

Selby continued to dominate the early exchanges but a combination of determined defending and lack of a clinical edge prevented further scores until the 16th minute when, under pressure, Ribblesdale were penalised for coming in at the side of the ruck and Cruise kicked his second penalty from fully 45 metres.

Ribblesdale took the lead when they won a scrum against the head on the Selby 22-metre line and centre Jonathan Richards side-stepped his way through the heart of the Selby defence to score under the posts. Fly half Michael Thwaite added the extras.

A penalty kick from Cruise on 34 minutes was just off target and, when another penalty was won by Selby soon after, the option to kick to the corner proved to be a wise decision.

A clean catch at the line-out on the Ribblesdale five metre line set up the position from which Selby’s Ben Booth powered over for a try. Although Cruise failed to convert, the home side went into the break leading 11-7.

The visitors started the second half in the ascendency but were unable to convert a couple of penalty opportunities.

Cruise extended Selby’s lead to 14-7 with his third successful kick of the afternoon from a penalty awarded for a deliberate knock on.

A penalty by Thwaite reduced the deficit to four points meaning that Ribblesdale needed to kick two further penalties to gain the lead or score a try. As the tension mounted, Ribblesdale began to get on top. With 80 minutes gone, Selby still held a four-point advantage but were under intense pressure. For almost eight minutes, Selby’s determination to keep their line intact kept the Ribblesdale forwards at bay.

But the crucial last scrum of the match led to heartbreak and other results sent Selby slipping into the second relegation spot.

They are now three points behind Yarnbury and six points behind Ribblesdale with just three more games to play.

Whether the manner of this painful defeat will stir a positive reaction against Brodleians this weekend remains to be seen.