Selston chalk up eighth win on the bounce

Selston are now third in the South Division, winning the team of the month on the back of an unbeaten month, taking in wins over two top six rivals and Radcliffe Olympic in the Notts FA Senior Cup.

It was top five versus bottom on Saturday at the Parish ground and with Selston’s recent form one could be forgiven for expecting a home walkover.

However, while Selston never looked likely to be beaten, they left it late to win and put a gloss on the scoreline.

Following a scrappy first 10 minutes where neither side registered anything like a shot on goal, Southwell created the first meaningful attempt when a free kick was parried away for a corner by Selston’s Jake Simpson. From the resulting corner the Minstermen’s Calum Law headed over the bar.

The home side began to put some decent moves together and following patient build-up play, Rory Davis delivered a ball deep to the back post where Carl Moore read the ball expertly but planted his volley wide of the upright.

On 25 minutes, Southwell took an unexpected lead when Daniel Henshaw’s back pass was mis-controlled by Simpson and Law was sufficiently aware to nip in and tap home to get his team one goal to the good.

The home side were level inside seven minutes when Steve Radzynski worked a short throw in with Rory Davis, the big Scot turned and struck a shot that took the visiting keeper, Mark Grattan, by surprise and nestled inside the near post to level the scores.

In truth the goal had been coming with Radzynski’s goal-bound flick header four minutes earlier only being kept out by Selston’s Joe Riley being in the way two yards from goal.

Southwell’s custodian earned his corn in the first half making good saves from Ben Moore’s shot from 25 yards and brilliantly from a Tom Widdowson cross-shot that he pushed onto the bar at the near post.

The half closed with honours even, Selston’s Jake Simpson not having any real opportunity to redeem himself for his earlier error.

Mirroring the first half, after a period of attrition, the opening opportunity of the second period came courtesy of the away team.

A corner was won and the headed effort was blocked on the line by ever ready left back Davis. Yet again this was the best effort the visitors could muster and the home side did begin to press and probe with intent.

Following more patient build up 30 minutes into this second period, Jimmy Barry crossed deep and the keeper, Grattan looked to have the cross covered but he dropped the ball, the resulting prod goalwards was hacked clear of the goal line. Shortly after, Sean Gregory went close with an effort with the outside of the foot from 25 yards.

The home side looked like they would always take the upper hand in the tie but, once again the breakthrough actually came when Aaron Brady got involved.

The Selston striker had only been on the pitch for six minutes, replacing Radzynski on 74, when he finished a lovely move to put the home side 2-1 up.

Rory Davis had picked up the ball in his own half and fed skipper Ben Moore on the edge of the box, his flick into the path of Joe Riley left the Selston midfielder free to square the ball for that man Brady to score his eighth goal of the season.

Just two minutes later, Selston added the gloss to the grit in the cruellest fashion for the Southwell team and, especially the keeper.

Carl Moore shot from 20 yards but his effort seemed bound for the arms of Mark Grattan, unfortunately the visiting keeper took his eye off the ball and he spilled the effort and could only watch in disbelief as the ball dribbled into the bottom corner to make it 3-1 to the home side.