Page 15 - The Swan CV Edition 4 April 2020

1995 YORKSHIRE SHIELD WINNERS
MATCH REPORTS
Adamson Maintains a Family Tradition
(Report by Neil Squires (Courtesy of the Yorkshire Post)
There is no substitute for class and even in the twilight of his career Ray Adamson demonstrated to a raucous crowd at York that he still has quality in quantity.
The former Wakefield fullback, now comfortably installed as Selby’s fly half, lifted the Heineken Yorkshire Shield after a virtuoso performance of assured calm in the hurly-burly of Saturday’s final.
He created two of Selby’s five tries and gave a near faultless display of tactical kicking which finally drove a gutsy Beverley side to defeat.
The North East Two side’s rumbustious opening ten minutes counted for nothing against their higher ranked opponents as fly half Steve Girking wasted two penalty chances and a drop goal.
For all the enormous efforts of their pack, Beverley’s handling consistently let them down and Selby made them pay in the 15th minute when a blistering break from impressive full-back Martin Bramley opened the way for leading try scorer Neale Smith to speed in from 30 metres.
Five minutes later Beverley were back on level terms. Lock Shaun Barker set up the position from a close-range tap penalty for Girking to take the ball at pace and dummy his way over on the blind side. Girking found his kicking range in the 29th minute from 22 metres as Selby went over the top under pressure. But, crucially, they survived any further damage up the slope and switched round only 8-5 down.
The filthy conditions forced Selby to compromise their attempts at 15-man rugby but, marshalled by Adamson at stand-off, they always had the edge in quality.
If their first-half defence laid the foundations for their first Shield victory for 13 years, two tries in three minutes early in the second half provided the work for the engravers. A desperate sprawl from Beverley’s centre Wayne Fewster denied Smith his second try when Bennett fumbled Bramley’s high kick. But it was a temporary reprieve as muscular prop Jamie Pocklington forced his way over from close range in the 45th minute. Two minutes later left-winger Andy Holmes cashed in on more defensive hesitancy from opposite number Tony Bennet to take advantage of an overlap and score a try which Adamson converted to give Selby a 17-8 lead.
But Beverley, living off Shaun Barker’s supply of lineout ball, fought back magnificently and only Smith’s pace denied Andy Holmes a try in the corner after an intricate back move.
Girking’s simple penalty when Selby strayed offside was an inadequate reward and Adamson made them pay with a superbly weighted high ball which caused chaos in Beverley’s defence and gifted Toby Pemberton a try. Adamson converted to make it 24-11. With five minutes left Adamson’s beautifully timed pass broke Beverley’s defence, Bramley took it and squeezed his own pass out to Smith who went over for his 16th try of the season. Adamson missed the conversion but managed a straightforward penalty in the last minute to seal an emphatic win.
Beverley No. 8 Tim Walker managed a deserved consolation try which Girking converted in injury time but the day belonged to Selby and the Adamson clan.
The first time Selby won the competition in 1974 Ray’s brother-in-law Michael Pearce was captain. The last time, in 1982, Ray’s brother Arthur was captain. In 1995 nothing was going to stop Ray adding his name to the family’s roll of honour.
Keep up to date with all latest club news at www.selbyrufc.club
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