Worsbrough hold firm to deny Selby

Toolstation NCEL Division One

Worsbrough Bridge 1-1 Selby Town

Promotion-chasing Selby Town dropped out of the play-offs zone for the first time since October after strugglers Worsbrough Bridge produced an excellent rearguard display to earn themselves a precious point.

Selby were unable to break down a determined Worsbrough team, who led at half-time courtesy of Ben Grech-Brooksbank’s header – a goal cancelled out by Gary Collier three minutes into the second half.

Selby were unlucky not to take all three points as Christian Fox’s squash-bucklers hit the crossbar three times.

But nothing should be taken away from Worsbrough, who erased the memory of Wednesday’s disastrous 6-3 defeat to relegation rivals Retford United with a blood-and-guts performance.

They were full value for their point. Led by captain and man of the match Josh Dacre, Worsbrough were excellent from back-to-front. Talisman Ben Grech-Brooksbank, back to the kind of form he showed during his time with Ossett Albion, led the front-line superbly and made sure Bridge were an occasional threat going forward as well.

Selby, arguably the most exciting attacking team in the Division, did let the heavy pitch affect them. Magic man Joe Dale was a constant threat with a high-energy runs, so was Liam Flanagan – the first Selby player to rattle the woodwork.

The home side’s deadlock breaker was a bolt out of the blue. Grech-Brooksbank was handed a free header inside the six-yard-box. His first attempt came back off the crossbar. Fortunately for the striker, the ball dropped kindly for him and he was able to head in the rebound.

Selby responded with sheer force. Aidan Tyas’ goal was peppered for the rest of the half. Tyas had to deal with a lots of corners and crosses. He also made a wonderful save to prevent Charlie Clamp’s long range blast from planting itself in the left-hand top corner.

Apart from Kieran Hirst pulling a fine save out of Selby goalkeeper Paul Hagreen at the beginning of the second half, the visitors dominated for a long period.

Dale’s perseverance to chase down a lost cause set up the deserved equaliser. He won the ball back on the right-wing and sent a low cross into the six-yard-box where the fox-in-the-box Collier was waiting to do the rest.

Most gamblers would have said Selby had this game in the bag now. Flanagan and Dale both hit the woodwork as the pressure mounted on Worsbrough.

But as the clock ticked past 70 minutes, the feeling in the air was that it wasn’t Selby’s day. Worsbrough rode out the storm and started to cause Selby the odd problem.

Great work from Hirst created a chance for young lad Calan Rollinson. The midfielder slipped into the Selby penalty area, initially undetected, and looked set to slide the ball past Hagreen. That was until Selby’s ‘Terry Butcher’ Ryan Gothard threw himself in front of the shot to divert it to safety.

Dale and Flanagan made some good breaks, but the end product let Selby down. And at the death, Grech-Brooksbank and Rollinson nearly helped Worsbrough snatch an unlikely victory. Literally in the 94th minute, the striker kept the ball in play and led a charge forward. He passed to Rollinson, who showed tremendous vision to cross the ball towards the far post from the left wing. Scott Batty met it, but headed high and wide.

Worsbrough know it may be a crucial point. It may prove to be an important one for Selby too. A draw is the not the end of the world as Fox’s men still have games-in-hand to clinch a play-offs spot.

The Teams

Worsbrough Bridge: Tyas, Hammond, Parcett, Huly, Graham, Dacre (captain), Mbire (White 61), Batty, Grech-Brooksbank, Hirst (Osborne 90), Hutchinson (Rollinson 71). Subs unused: Dungworth, Morris.

Selby Town: Hagreen, Pearse (Woodhead 75), Snodin, Snaith, Gothard (captain), Kennedy, Collier (Cable 75), Metcalfe (Foster-Vigors 78), Flanagan, Clamp, Dale. Subs unused: Lock, Malhotra.

Who Was In Charge

Matthew Bacon (10/10)

With Division One officials currently being victims of a campaign to seemingly discredit them, ‘safe pair of hands’ Mr Bacon showed that the standard is actually quite high. He was calm, authoritative and most importantly, in full control of proceedings.

How Many Were There

51

Man of the Match

Josh Dacre (Worsbrough Bridge)