Toolstation NCEL Division One
East Yorkshire Carnegie 2-3 Selby Town
Ryan Woodhead and Liam Flanagan celebrate during Selby’s 3-2 win at East Yorkshire Carnegie. Picture: Dave Haddock
Selby Town got back to their swashbuckling way of playing, but almost surrendered all three points following a nervy final ten minutes.
Ryan Woodhead, Liam Flanagan and electric Sam Cable put Christian Fox’s men on course for a straight-forward, but Carnegie, managed by former Selby boss Leon Sewell, valiantly fought-back.
A nail-biting ensued with Selby holding on to end a run of two consecutive league defeats.
The game kicked off with Town having the advantage of the brisk wind at their back. The game was immediately an open one, with Charlie Clamp hitting a volley high, after a good free kick move at one end, a good save from Pete Lawrie being required at the other.
Selby were moving the ball around delightfully, and it looked only a matter of time before they scored. Sure enough the first goal arrived courtesy of an unlikely source. Good football put Liam Flanagan in the clear down Selby’s left. A precise cross was met by the onrushing Woodhead. The goalkeeper had no chance as the ball went into the corner of the net
A superb defensive tackle in the box denied Sam Cable the chance to increase the lead soon after.
Injury forced East Yorkshire Carnegie into an early substitution. Star striker Josh Walker was replaced by Jamie Reeson. This was a blow to them, and their position worsened almost immediately as Carl Stewart calmly crossed for the unmarked Liam Flanagan to add Selby’s second.
The second half started and it was immediately obvious that Carnegie were using the wind to push Town deeper. Selby’s defence was under much more pressure. Town were finding it much harder to create pressure of their own, and were not able to reproduce the free flowing football of earlier.
Carnegie continued to apply pressure. Lawrie made a fine save following a run from ex-professional, Ryan Williams. Selby scored from the resulting corner with a counter-attacking move. The ball was cleared to Stewart who advanced into the opposition half, before releasing Cable, who cut in from the right to hit a shot past the opposition ‘keeper.
Three goals up, but any thoughts that Town could relax and see the game out, were quickly dispelled. Carnegie threw caution to the wind and pushed more men up, exerting even more pressure on the hard worked defence. Town’s front players became more isolated, and goal chances few and far between.
The inevitable happened, and once again Town conceded from a corner. The ball was not properly cleared from the middle. Lawrie made a point blank save with his legs, but unfortunately the ball ricocheted to Carnegie’s Danny Walker, who had the relatively easy task of lifting the ball over the stricken ‘keeper, into the net.
Shortly after Lawrie was called into action to make another great save from a header. Defensive nervousness was giving the ball to the opposition, in dangerous areas, increasing the pressure.
Selby were relying on breakaways. Stewart fired just wide from one, and Sam Cable forced a good save out of the East Yorkshire ’keeper, from another. Town looked exposed after Pete Lawrie was caught out of his goal , but fortunately the defence was able to block the following shot.
The pressure told with Carnegie scoring again, this following a good move down Selby’s, left, followed by a good cross, then fine near post header by Reeson.
This set up an extremely nervous, nail biting, last few minutes. Carnegie had the ball in the net again, but to their dismay, this was only after the referee had stopped play so the injured Woodhead could get treatment.
Carnegie continued to press for an equalising goal. Hearts were in mouths, as a deflected shot looked to have beaten Lawrie, only to end up on the top of the net. Selby were glad to run the ball to the corner flag at every opportunity.
Eventually, the final whistle was blown, much to the relief of everyone connected with The Robins.
The Teams
Selby Town: Lawrie, Woodhead, Lawrence, Clamp, Ryan Gothard, Alasan Ann, Bilton, Snodin, Flanagan, Stewart, Cable. Subs: Collier, Ramsay, Neal, Gore, Winn.
East Yorkshire Carnegie: Hitchcock, Waud, Abel, Ricardo, Salvidge, Harrison, Sarel, Foster, Walker, Williams, Walker. Subs: Whiting, Mwanmuka, Earl, Horner, Ward.
Thanks to Phil Dearnley for this report.