Lucky Dinnington get their reward from sloppy Selby

With three minutes to go, Selby had a kick at goal to win the game but sliced it wide.

Dinnington then fumbled under pressure and the ball went into in-goal where Selby touched down.

However, the referee, making his way across the pitch, did not have a view of this and awarded Selby a scrum for the knock-on which he had seen.

Selby then won another penalty, in front of the posts, and missed again with the last kick of the game!

Already this season, Dinnington have realised that they must make the most of the home fixtures if they are to remain in the division and they went into this game hopeful against a team who had narrowly avoided relegation in each of the last three seasons.

In the opening exchanges both sides came close to opening the scoring.

Dinnington could not get over in the opening two minutes from a catch and drive and had to force Selby into touch as the visitors came on their first attack. Dinnington came close again ten minutes later and then an error, at the line out, saw another chance go astray soon afterwards.

Selby then had a brief spell with the upper hand and with fifteen minutes of the half to play broke from a lineout, created an overlap and scored in the corner to go 5-0 ahead.

Dinnington regained the ball at the restart and kept Selby in their own twenty-two winning a five metre scrum after forcing the visitors over their own line.

They lost the ball but were soon back, as they kicked a penalty to the corner. This time a successful catch and drive put Ollie Rodgers over to level the scores. In the last ten minutes of the half, Selby looked the more likely to score but were kept out, knocking on within ten metres.

Dinnington then almost stole a try, but knocked on, when going for an interception.

Dinnington started the second half on the attack and took the lead ten minutes in when they stole the ball at a Selby lineout on halfway and went over in the corner giving Oliver Fallon his debut try with only his second touch of the ball in senior rugby.

Selby responded by twice stealing Dinnington possession and on the second of these they went in under the posts to go 12-10 ahead just before the mid-point of the half.

The nip-and-tuck continued as it was Dinnington’s turn to come close next when they were off target with a penalty.

This led to a twenty-two drop out which allowed them to keep the pressure on and, following a free-kick, they set up Michael Leitch to step past several defenders and touch down under the posts.

Jonny West converted to put Dinnington five points clear. They did not hold this advantage for long as they gave up possession at a lineout, five minutes later, and Selby broke from the resultant scrum to score by the posts and regain a two point advantage.

This seemed to be the clincher but two minutes later West converted a penalty to put Dinnington back in front.

Almost straight away they gave Selby the chance to win the game but luck was certainly on their side in the dramatic last few minutes.

Up next is a trip to Old Brodleians in Halifax.