A SUPERB 28-18 derby victory at Scarborough kept Selby RUFC on the coat-tails of the top four in Yorkshire One.

The Swans are now unbeaten in seven league and cup games since early December, a run which has seen them close to within two points of fourth-placed Wath-on-Dearne.

The Silver Royd victory enabled Selby to lay down a marker ahead of the Yorkshire Shield semi-final clash between the sides at Sandhill Lane on February 22.

The North Yorkshire rivals served up a thrilling contest despite testing conditions, with standing water down the middle of the pitch and a howling wind blowing down the ground.

Scarborough had advantage of the elements in the first half, the hosts employing high, deep kicking tactics to pressure Selby into conceding penalties. Two penalties were converted by Scarborough fly-half Tom Ratcliffe for an early 6-0 lead.

Selby reduced the arrears after 14 minutes with a Josh Cruise penalty from in front of the posts after a high tackle.

Scarborough’s pressure paid off with a close-range try from scrum-half Zbynek Schutz on 29 minutes, which Ratcliffe converted for a 13-3 lead. Five minutes later, Selby were awarded a free-kick which was converted to a penalty and taken an extra ten metres forward for back chat, with Cruise kicking it into the wind.

Selby began to grow in confidence and played some attractive running rugby which brought a deserved try just before half-time. After phases of pressure down the right, the ball was spread wide to the left for winger Charlton McCoy to cross.

After 48 minutes, fly-half Dan Porter broke through and released flanker Jacob Robinson to score near the posts. Cruise goaled to give Selby the lead for the first time.

Home number eight Matty Else was mauled over from a five-metre scrum to tie the scores at 18-18 after 57 minutes. Selby were back in front three minutes later after scrum-half Neil Francis’ short kick over the defence allowed McCoy to hack through the and centre Teihana Brown got the touch down.

An excellent conversion by Cruise was followed by a 75th-minute penalty for offside.

York’s Northern Divisions Intermediate Cup tie at Consett was postponed for a second time.