Selby Town 4 St Helens Town 1

IN thirteen outings to date, Town have only lost twice but the Yorkshire jinx struck again on Saturday, Selby dumping them out of the Carlsberg FA Vase to join fellow Tykes Pickering as the Hoghton Road side's only conquerors this season.

It was a disaster from the start as deputy keeper Newbury, replacing shoulder victim Terry Hollywood, suffered early concussion in an aerial collision and was clearly in trouble until being withdrawn at the interval.

By then Selby, with pace and aggression, were two up but it's fair to say that neither goal would have beaten a fully fit keeper. Hollywood's deputy had started confidently with a couple of good punches and a low save from Amos but on 18 minutes a bang to the rear of the skull in taking a high ball spoiled his, and Town's day.

Selby took the lead in bizarre fashion in the 25th minute when Mark Turner hoisted a deep free kick into the St Helens area and a huge bounce evaded everyone and found the net.

A minute earlier Town had almost scored themselves when Phoenix stole up to power a header just outside the near post from a Griffiths corner kick.

In fact, the visitors laboured for much of the half and they suffered a hammer blow in the 43rd minute when Selby's Hart drove over a chest-high cross and Newbury, his judgement clearly impaired, fumbled it against the post allowing Mike Amos to score the simplest of goals as he followed up.

Midweek goal-keeping hero Paul Kirwan then appeared between the St Helens posts for the second half but there was to be no repeat of his Skelmersdale triumph as the gremlins got to work again to present Selby with a third, 'killer' goal.

It came in the 58th minute when home midfielder Baker lofted a deep free kick centrally into the area and as Kirwan advanced from his line, he slipped totally onto his back and he could only look up as a tame glancing header from Ian Phillips pressed over him and into the vacant net.

This was a mortal blow as Town had begun the second half with a flourish, Bickerstaffe testing home keeper Potter before Hill lobbed wide over the keeper's advance.

But Town were having a sorry day and they missed their chance of getting into the last lifeboat when O'Neill fluffed an absolute sitter from eight yards. Had it been reduced to 3-1 with still half-an-hour to play there would have been a glimmer of hope but that was not to be and salt was rubbed into St Helens wounds when Selby broke up the right through Cygan whose cut-back was turned past the helpless Kirwan by Nigel Oldfield.

Given the bizarre nature of all but one of the goals so far, it was perhaps fitting that Town's consolation should have a touch of calamity about it and it came in the 83rd minute when home pivot Speight sent a back header over his own keeper and Bryan Griffiths simply walked the ball home.

Town need to recover quickly for this Saturday's First North Western Trains top-six clash when Newcastle Town come to Hoghton Road, kick-off 3pm.

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