Whitehall faced a brave Selby Warriors who have only won 1 match this season, but to their credit put a team out that never stopped trying.

Whitehall received the ball from the kick off and centres Chris Scrimshaw and Pep Scargill raced downfield. A couple of big hits up from forwards Alan Bottomley and Pete Williams gained the position for ever alert playmaker, Chris Gregg, to dive over the line and score within 1 minute of kick off.

The Selby team rallied and worked hard to stop a rout, but the excellent defensive efforts of Whitehall, led by Andrew Johnson and Andrew Sadler, repelled them time and again.

Captain Baz Stead had got out of his sick bed to lead his team, and his slick pass to Gareth Simpson sent the wingman haring in at the corner.

Selby counter attacked and were looking threatening but Chris Gregg read the play, intercepted and raced downfield. Pep Scargill was on hand to collect the ball as Gregg drew the fullback to send his centre sprinting in under the sticks. Lee Walmsley’s goal kick made it 14-0.

Selby worked the ball back to the Whitehall line and took the 2 points when they got a penalty for offside.

Whitehall’s Man of the Match, Kiwi Daniel Raika, was playing superbly at prop and was putting his Rugby Union skills to good use as he off-loaded in the tackle to send veteran Mick Williams on a charging run. With the Selby defence at sixes and sevens, General Baz Stead hoisted a cross-field kick that was magnificently caught by Gaz Simpson who grounded the ball in the corner.

At half time Coach Richard Darkes was quite happy with his Warriors but, having a comfortable lead, he wanted his team to start putting together the set pieces he’d worked on in training.

On their first attack of the second half Chris Gregg followed Darkes’ instructions and, using Stuart Syme and Pete Williams as decoy runners, he sent Alan Bottomley crashing over the whitewash. Walmsley had an easy conversion to extend the lead.

Selby put in a huge effort to stem the tide and their outstanding scrum half, Wayne Fennel, had terrific vision when his long pass to Noel Weaver sent his wingman in unopposed.

Their enjoyment was short lived as Whitehall hit a purple patch with the ball flowing freely. Walmsley and Gregg found loose forward Alan Bottomley out wide and he sucked in the defence to send Gaz Simpson in for a well earned hat trick of tries. Walmsley brilliantly converted from the touch line.

The creative football continued and, with Raika and Maestro Baz Stead always in the thick of things, the next try was not long coming.

Gregg, Walmsley and Stead threw the ball down the line and found Chris Scrimshaw who hit the ball at terrific speed to leave the Selby defenders grasping at thin air. Walmsley once again obliged with the goal kick.

The only way Selby were going to score would be through an intercept and that is exactly what they did. Matt Irvine raced out of his line, snatched the ball and ran the full length of the field to score a converted try.

Whitehall had the final say, however, when the injured Richard Casanove, filling in on the wing, stepped round a defender and handed off the fullback to complete an emphatic victory for Whitehall.

On Saturday Whitehall are hoping to complete the double against Odsal Sedbergh who have had a mixed season winning 6 out of their 13 matches played.