Selby Rugby Union Club’s stuttering Yorkshire One season shuddered to a standstill with another home defeat when they were beaten 18-14 by a lively and tenacious, but moderately-talented Sheffield side.

The passion and intensity of last week’s performance was forgotten as the form throughout the team disintegated following a golden start.

Even the scrum which had been so impressive at the start was under considerable pressure by the full-time whistle.

The Swans attacked from the outset but the Steelmen’s defence proved obdurate, as it did throughout the game, until a superb long pass from off-half Chris Quinn hit Alex Arthur at pace who brought in barnstorming centre Andy Gable to gallop unstoppably to the line for a top quality try.

It was perhaps a foretaste of what was to come as Quinn’s relatively easy kick sailed wide.

With skipper Rob Taylor once more to the fore Selby continued to stretch their visitors.

But Sheffield then showed that they are a useful side on the attack as they had a period of pressure in the home 22, which was withstood and play returned to their half and culminated with a Quinn penalty.

Sheffield stormed straight back and were unfortunate not to score when a pass was adjudged marginally forward, but a penalty award for off-half Cribley was compensation.

With their tails now up the Steelmen showed their mettle, and a kick was dabbed through by the tricky Cribley, which was horribly missed by the Selby defence.

Sheffield’s jubilant centre touched the ball down, and Cribley converted to give his side the lead.

Selby fought back to gain good position and Quinn closed the half with a penalty to restore the slender advantage.

This was a very competitive Sheffield side, strong in the tackle, in Selby’s face at ruck and maul, and very quick to the breakdown, and it was they who started the second half scoring when a wide pass found winger Oben, who showed electric pace to beat two defenders and score near the flag.

Selby then started to up their game, but could find no way through a stern defence, as the Sheffield back row continued to slow down the ball at the breakdown.

The visitors’ midfield defence also played to the margins of legality, testing referee Mr Houghton’s tolerance of the offside law, to give the home side neither time, nor space, to build a winning position.

Then a penalty decision worked Selby’s way and replacement No10 Jordan Barton took his side to within a point, which set up a further barrage of home attacks.

The visitors withstood the pressure and Cribley then extended the lead with a penalty in reply.

This set up a period of furious pressure with Sheffield giving away a series of penalties and Selby hammering away at the line, but the Swans just could not make that final breakthrough.

This loss now puts Selby very much in the relegation zone, and with early season strugglers Keighley and Malton & Norton, 6-3 winners at Skipton, now looking to have found form, it is going to take maximum effort from the squad to keep the season afloat.


Coach quits

SELBY RUFC coach Diccon Edwards announced prior to the game he was reluctantly standing down to give full concentration to his full time job as coach of Leeds Carnegie Academy.

Jamie Pocklington steps up as replacement.