Selby Town 3-2 Pontefract Collieries
Electric Sam Cable continued his great form for Selby with a goal in their 3-2 win over Pontefract
Ambitious Selby Town pulled off an incredible victory over back-to-back promotion winners Pontefract Collieries to round off their 100% winning pre-season campaign.
Pontefract had totally dominated the first half, but somehow did not score. Then with their first attack of the game on the stroke of half-time, Charlie Clamp fired Selby in front.
Electric Sam Cable continued his great form with Selby’s second before Vaughn Redford scored a penalty for the Colls.
Gary Collier inevitably got on the score-sheet to restore Selby’s two goal lead and it was important as Jack Greenhough gave Ponte late hope.
What was even more astounding about the win was that Selby goalkeeper Pete Lawrie went off injured at half-time and left-back Sam Lingard played the entire second half between the sticks.
The Robins also had four key players missing in Liam Flanagan, magic man Joe Dale, Carl Stewart and Will Ramsey.
It was the battle of West Yorkshire’s swash-bucklers and the Colls who appear to average five goals a game were huge favourites.
In the first half, that was clear to see as the Colls wasted four or five clear-cut opportunities.
The chances came back to haunt them when Ryan Woodhead broke down the right. He crossed towards Collier, who made a mess of it by accidentally heading the ball backwards. Fortunately for him, Clamp was there and his low and powerful drive into Ryan Musselwhite’s right-hand bottom corner.
Both managers, Craig Parry and Reuben Pearse, will have had strong words at half-time as neither side had lived up to expectations.
Selby came out the more fired up and immediately added their second half when Collier won the battle down the right and crossed for the unmarked Cable who could not miss.
The Collieries comeback appeared to be on when Redford converted a penalty. However, none was forthcoming and Collier edged Selby close to the winning line with a trademark pearler from just outside the penalty area.
Young starlet Greenhough did head a goal back for Pontefract, but it was too late.