In-form Clipstone make it nine wins out of 10

The conditions were extremely heavy with a slight drizzle and, had it been raining a little harder, the whole match could have been in doubt.

Both teams started this game at a hot pace, Selby having the opening sight at goal coming in the third minute.

Clipstone captain Rob Austin was adjudged to have pushed Danny Gray right on the edge of the D centre to goal. The free kick was taken and the pace of the ball not only beat the four-man wall but also the crossbar too.

On five minutes Clipstone won the first corner of the game on the right. Taken by Steve Carty, he found Liam Pride at the near post, whose firm header was parried by Selby keeper Aaran Reid, son of new Selby manager Jimmy Reid.

The ball came back into a packed penalty area and Brandan Shaw rose highest, his header only hitting the top of the crossbar and flying out for a goal kick.

Clipstone started making the better opportunities midway through the first half.

Pride retrieved the ball just inside his own half on 22 minutes. He ran into the Selby half unchallenged until just outside the penalty area, kept good control after a heavy challenge and blasted inches wide of the right hand post.

The midfield battle was equal but occasionally over-zealous, Selby’s Ryan O’Reiley receiving the game’s first yellow card on 24 minutes with studs showing in a knee high tackle.

Whatever was said in both dressing rooms at half-time remains a mystery. But one team must have listened to their manager as in the first five minutes of the second half this game turned on its head in Clipstone’s favour.

On 47 minutes Brandan Shaw beat the offside trap, running onto a Rob Paling through ball.

Calmly heading towards the near post, he sent the ball across the face of goal, finding Kieran Watson free at the far post to firmly hit Clipstone ahead.

Just five minutes later Gary Armstrong’s free kick from the halfway line found Brandan Shaw on the edge of the penalty area, this time going alone and poking the ball home past the keeper from eight yards out.

Selby did try to make a game of it, but the Clipstone defence stood solid as a unit.

There was not another shot on goal from either side until the 78th minute, and again it came the way of Clipstone.

It was Kieran Watson’s turn to beat the offside trap from another wonderful pass by Rob Paling. He beat a late challenge from Selby right back Gary Lumley, hit the goal line, and sent a low cross in front of the keeper, beating everyone including the far post.

Steve Carty kept the ball in play, but his cross was well caught by the home keeper.

Just one minute later Watson was again free on the left flank, this time running more direct at goal. He once more beat the right back, cut inside and fired towards goal, Reid in the Selby goal again keeping the home side in this contest for the umpteenth time.

CLIPSTONE: J. Fisher, G. Armstrong, B. Shaw, J. Shaw, R. Austin, S. Carty, L. Pride (I. Hillier), J. Edwards, A. Wisdom (R. Camm), K. Watson, R. Paling. Subs not used: N. Millington, J. Allan.