York overcame their Selby hoodoo with a convincing 34-12 victory over their close rivals.

With Bridlington defeating North Ribblesdale, York finished second on points difference in Yorkshire One, and will now play Hartlepool Rovers at Clifton Park on April 26, with their victor earning promotion to North 2 East.

Selby finished fifth and will be regretting their slow start to the season.

Most of the first half offered little to the fancy-dan devotees of flowing, handling rugby.

But those more versed in the darker arts of forward play were ecstatic at the huge power of the York pack in the set scrums. Repeatedly, they pushed Selby off their own ball but failed to capitalise on this advantage.

Fly half Ben Quick missed two kickable penalties and York overplayed the kicking game.

Good kicks gave line-out ball to Selby where they were reasonably secure with Jason Cicero dominant although York skipper Pete Curtis stole a couple of throws. Selby's loose game was their best feature.

Scrum half Matthew Smith had an excellent running game, well supported by his back row.

It took 35 minutes to trouble the scoreboard and, inevitably, it was from a power scrum on the Selby line that York pushed over for scrum half James Arkle to claim the touchdown. Quick converted.

York went back on attack and in injury time number 8 Ian Davies, picked up from a scrum on the Selby line and crashed over. Quick again converted.

Quick opened the second half with a penalty when Selby handled in a scrum as they were again pushed backwards.

Within two minutes Selby pricked York's expanding confidence when number 8 Rob Taylor burst through the York defence for flanker Jim Nicholson to score near the posts. Will Jordan converted and 17-7 began to look a fragile lead.

York responded by producing the move of the match.

The ball was worked out to the right and York's Taylor at centre put flanker Stu Davies on a run down the wing. Arkle switched play left and Quick threw a long ball to centre Sean Bass, who dummied through the middle and outpaced the full back for an exciting try. Quick converted and then added a penalty.

Five minutes later, York winger Mike Westwood intercepted and ran 50 metres to the line for another Quick conversion to give York a secure lead of 34-7.

Selby were not finished and were determined to play a running game which was rewarded when Smith crowned an outstanding display by skipping through for a try.

The final quarter saw several substitutions and the match lost some of its heady froth although Smith continued to snipe away and York winger Rob Liddle made several useful runs.

However, the day's plaudits must go to the whole York pack with the plea that they reproduce this form in the promotion play-off.

Updated: 09:48 Monday, April 14, 2003