Division One top-scorer Nick Guest got two in Hemsworth’s 4-1 win at Selby Town
Promotion-chasing Hemsworth Miners Welfare stretched their unbeaten league run to 17 games with a very straightforward 4-1 win at out-of-sorts Selby Town.
The win keeps Hemsworth in second place in the Toolstation NCEL Division One table and moves them one point behind leaders AFC Emley.
Selby had cancelled out predatory striker Nick Guest’s early penalty, but a three-goal collapse in seven minutes close to half-time secured three more precious points for Welfare.
The defeat leaves Selby with just one win – against hopeless Lincoln Moorlands – in fourteen games in all competitions and in no man’s land when taking their pre-season hopes for the campaign into consideration.
A season that began with high hopes after three straight wins has descended into a disaster and left Dave Ricardo wondering where the next victory is coming from.
Even when they equalised against Wayne Benn’s superb young team, Selby did not look likely to win the game.
Hemsworth were at far from their best, but they were clinical in front of goal in the first half.
A rash challenge on Nash Connolly just inside the penalty area after three minutes helped set Hemsworth on their way.
Guest slotted the spot kick away by finding the left-hand top corner with great composure.
The visitors nodded off briefly midway through the first half and gave Selby some hope.
Craig Muirhead forced a mistake from goalkeeper Jack Bentley and defender Dane Mortimer was there to score.
Hemsworth soon woke-up and the vastly-experienced Dom Blair saw one effort cleared off-the-line and other fly over the crossbar.
The pressure was mounting for Selby and Guest further cemented his place at the top of the goal-scoring charts with his 31st of the campaign with a neat finish which was further helped by poor positioning from Ryan Musselwhite.
Weak defending from a Connolly corner followed and that allowed debutant Sam Colbear to notch Hemsworth’s third goal with a bullet header.
It was a dream return to the country for former Goole centre-back Colbear, who has been living in Australia until recently.
The away side hadn’t finished there and Connolly was again the provider for Robbie Crapper to get his name on the score-sheet from his cross with a similar strike to Guest’s second.
Ricardo hauled off defenders Joel Evans and his player/assistant Chris Dickman at half-time and a positive that Selby can take is that they kept a clean sheet in the second half.
But, just like Pontefract Collieries did two weeks ago at Selby, Hemsworth took their foot off the gas.
They created one chance when Jack Steers was denied at point-blank range by goalkeeper Musselwhite, but that was it.
The second half fizzled out and the agony goes on for Selby, while Hemsworth remain in the thick of a promotion battle.
Selby Town: Musselwhite, Dickman (Horsman HT), Binns, Hope, Evans (Start HT), Mortimer, Forrester, Turnbull, Chamberlain, Bennett, Muirhead (Williams 64). Sub unused: Jackson.
Hemsworth Miners Welfare: Bentley, Tonks, Clark, Swift (Dixon HT), Colbear (Viggars 76), Steers, Connolly, Yates (captain), Guest, Blair, Crapper (Haywood 59). Subs unused: Pugh, Wilson.
Referee: Drew Dutton
Ref Rating: 8/10
Attendance: 112
Man of the match: Nash Connolly (Hemsworth Miners Welfare)