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Sat 11 Apr 2015 · Yorkshire Division One
Selby
1st XV
31
29
Tries: A Smith, T Chester, C Fawcett, R Stringer, M BaconConversions: L Kay (3)
Pontefract V Selby
Jonathon Hill20 Aug 2019 - 23:03
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A Close affair
Pontefract v Selby …. A Close Affair
Pontefract travelled to local rivals Selby for this end of season Yorkshire Division 1 match hoping for a change of fortunes. Matches between the two clubs have always been hard fought close affairs and this match proved to be no exception; it was a typical derby between the two clubs with Pontefract’s backs pitted against their opponents’ stronger pack. Selby kicked off and using the strong cross field wind , which was to make goal kicking and the lineouts a lottery all afternoon , got a bounce into touch to give them an immediate attacking position in the Pontefract 22. Selby were given a scrum from the line out and immediately drove the Pontefract pack backwards and a series of pick and drives got Selby close to the Pontefract try line but stout defence from Boyd , Bacon and Fawcett kept them out. Pontefract’s back row of Andy Fradgley , Matty Willams and Rob Stringer competed tenaciously at the ruck and produced a turn over ball which meant Boyd was able to put in a deep pressure relieving kick . This time it was Pontefract who benefitted from the wind in the line out and from a stolen ball the Pontefract pack set up a driving maul which belied their lack of weight, taking Andy Smith over for a try out wide on the left wing. In the high cross wind Liam Kaye was not able to add the extra points.
Selby attacked right from the kick off and some fine forward play drove deep into Pontefract’s 22 , good defence kept them out for a while but a quick ball from the base of a ruck gave Selby a 2 on 1 situation and their right winger squeezed in for a try at the corne, again not converted so at the end of the first quarter the score was 5 all.
With the Ponte pack starting to hold their own a little more in the scrum, the Ponte backs started to play some fine attacking rugby and a series of penalties for not releasing the man in the tackle made sure Selby were kept under pressure and in their own half. When Selby did have the ball the fast defence from the Pontefract backs and back row pressured the Selby passing. One mistake was snapped up by Jimbo Griffin and defying his position at prop gave out a deft pass which saw former junior Tom Chester open his try scoring account for the first team by skinning his opponent on the outside. Unfortunately he could not get closer to the sticks and the conversion was again missed.
Selby replied within 5 minutes with another move which saw their right wing again squeeze in the corner. Again the wind made the conversion kick fall short . Pontefract backs continued to make inroads into the Selby half and resulted in a series of penalties to Pontefract but they could not make the pressure tell and when Selby did attack stout defence held them up twice over the line and at half time the score was ten all.
From the restart the Selby pack started to make their superior weight tell in both ruck and maul and put Pontefract under a lot of pressure. Again the Pontefract defence was up to task. The pack turned over a ball on their own 22 and Andy Fradgley drove off the ruck into space, finding skipper Boyd who set off a sweeping interpassing move between the backs which saw Craig Fawcett cross the white wash near into the posts. This time Kaye was able to add the extra points. Again Selby attacked using close driving play from the ruck which saw them camped on the Pontefract line . Against the run of play Richard Dedicoat snapped up a loose ball close to his own try line and some neat foot work put him into space, with cover coming across he found Rob Stringer on his inside and a well timed pass gave the wing forward a 45 metre run for the line. He was caught just short but used the whole of his six foot to stretch out for a touch down wide on the right. Again Kaye could not manage to add the extra points against the wind. The score was now 22 -10.
The Selby pack started to get on top again in the scrums and drove Pontefract pack back which resulted in a series of penalties against them. The result was a couple of quick tries for Selby close in to the posts and with an easing wind and probably the best kicker in the league both were converted and the score with 15 minutes remaining was Pontefract 22 Selby 24.
The Pontefract backs continued to produce good rugby off what was now limited possession . Skipper Glen Boyd set off a move which saw Bacon and Fawcett both beat men to put Tom Chester clear with cover coming across and no room to work in he found the Pontefract back row in support. His inside pass was knocked down by a Selby hand , it was picked up by Andy Fradgley who went for the line but the referee whistled for a knock on giving the resulting scrum to Selby. They relieved the pressure by driving out of their 22 to the half way line but Matthew Bacon’s awareness saw him intercept a pass , the third of the day , and scamper 50 metres for a touch down between the posts, Kaye adding the extras to make the score 29 -24.
For the last ten minutes of the game the Selby forwards put their opponents under all sorts of pressure but Pontefract somehow kept them out. On full time a deep Pontefract kick to touch was picked off by the Selby fullback who raced back to his forward support. Keeping the ball alive Selby managed to squeeze in at the right hand corner to equal the scores and with the wind fading away they managed the conversion to take the game 31 -29. Losing in the last minute sums up Pontefract’s season and as a number of the Selby faithful noted after the match, they had not deserved to win
Pontefract travelled to local rivals Selby for this end of season Yorkshire Division 1 match hoping for a change of fortunes. Matches between the two clubs have always been hard fought close affairs and this match proved to be no exception; it was a typical derby between the two clubs with Pontefract’s backs pitted against their opponents’ stronger pack. Selby kicked off and using the strong cross field wind , which was to make goal kicking and the lineouts a lottery all afternoon , got a bounce into touch to give them an immediate attacking position in the Pontefract 22. Selby were given a scrum from the line out and immediately drove the Pontefract pack backwards and a series of pick and drives got Selby close to the Pontefract try line but stout defence from Boyd , Bacon and Fawcett kept them out. Pontefract’s back row of Andy Fradgley , Matty Willams and Rob Stringer competed tenaciously at the ruck and produced a turn over ball which meant Boyd was able to put in a deep pressure relieving kick . This time it was Pontefract who benefitted from the wind in the line out and from a stolen ball the Pontefract pack set up a driving maul which belied their lack of weight, taking Andy Smith over for a try out wide on the left wing. In the high cross wind Liam Kaye was not able to add the extra points.
Selby attacked right from the kick off and some fine forward play drove deep into Pontefract’s 22 , good defence kept them out for a while but a quick ball from the base of a ruck gave Selby a 2 on 1 situation and their right winger squeezed in for a try at the corne, again not converted so at the end of the first quarter the score was 5 all.
With the Ponte pack starting to hold their own a little more in the scrum, the Ponte backs started to play some fine attacking rugby and a series of penalties for not releasing the man in the tackle made sure Selby were kept under pressure and in their own half. When Selby did have the ball the fast defence from the Pontefract backs and back row pressured the Selby passing. One mistake was snapped up by Jimbo Griffin and defying his position at prop gave out a deft pass which saw former junior Tom Chester open his try scoring account for the first team by skinning his opponent on the outside. Unfortunately he could not get closer to the sticks and the conversion was again missed.
Selby replied within 5 minutes with another move which saw their right wing again squeeze in the corner. Again the wind made the conversion kick fall short . Pontefract backs continued to make inroads into the Selby half and resulted in a series of penalties to Pontefract but they could not make the pressure tell and when Selby did attack stout defence held them up twice over the line and at half time the score was ten all.
From the restart the Selby pack started to make their superior weight tell in both ruck and maul and put Pontefract under a lot of pressure. Again the Pontefract defence was up to task. The pack turned over a ball on their own 22 and Andy Fradgley drove off the ruck into space, finding skipper Boyd who set off a sweeping interpassing move between the backs which saw Craig Fawcett cross the white wash near into the posts. This time Kaye was able to add the extra points. Again Selby attacked using close driving play from the ruck which saw them camped on the Pontefract line . Against the run of play Richard Dedicoat snapped up a loose ball close to his own try line and some neat foot work put him into space, with cover coming across he found Rob Stringer on his inside and a well timed pass gave the wing forward a 45 metre run for the line. He was caught just short but used the whole of his six foot to stretch out for a touch down wide on the right. Again Kaye could not manage to add the extra points against the wind. The score was now 22 -10.
The Selby pack started to get on top again in the scrums and drove Pontefract pack back which resulted in a series of penalties against them. The result was a couple of quick tries for Selby close in to the posts and with an easing wind and probably the best kicker in the league both were converted and the score with 15 minutes remaining was Pontefract 22 Selby 24.
The Pontefract backs continued to produce good rugby off what was now limited possession . Skipper Glen Boyd set off a move which saw Bacon and Fawcett both beat men to put Tom Chester clear with cover coming across and no room to work in he found the Pontefract back row in support. His inside pass was knocked down by a Selby hand , it was picked up by Andy Fradgley who went for the line but the referee whistled for a knock on giving the resulting scrum to Selby. They relieved the pressure by driving out of their 22 to the half way line but Matthew Bacon’s awareness saw him intercept a pass , the third of the day , and scamper 50 metres for a touch down between the posts, Kaye adding the extras to make the score 29 -24.
For the last ten minutes of the game the Selby forwards put their opponents under all sorts of pressure but Pontefract somehow kept them out. On full time a deep Pontefract kick to touch was picked off by the Selby fullback who raced back to his forward support. Keeping the ball alive Selby managed to squeeze in at the right hand corner to equal the scores and with the wind fading away they managed the conversion to take the game 31 -29. Losing in the last minute sums up Pontefract’s season and as a number of the Selby faithful noted after the match, they had not deserved to win
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