The victory saw Parkgate move up four league places, up to 9th place, and took away the chance for Selby Town to go top of the league. The Steelmen deservedly travel home back to Rotherham with all three points.

Parkgate started the game as the team on the front foot. Wide-men Zak Khalifa and Brandon Bagley gave the home team a serious problem in the first half, using the width of the pitch well to create crosses and get at the Selby Town full-backs. The front three pressed hard from the front and the midfield led on, with Selby being forced to play a bit longer and not allow them to play through the midfield.

Parkgate’s early pressure resulted in a corner in the 17th minute, when Simon Harrison played the ball behind the Selby Town right-back and Zak Khalifa earned the visitors a corner; which Harrison put right on Haydn Ward’s head and that resulted in his third consecutive away headed goal and put the Steelmen 0-1 up at the Fairfax Plant Hire Stadium.

Parkgate made it hard for Selby to create any clear-cut chances, and with minutes left of the first half Bruno Holden made it 0-2 when he let fire from 25/30 yards after turning his defender; the ball going in off the post and the Selby keeper’ Pete Lawrie could only watch the ball hit the back of his net and deservedly put the away side two up.

The half time whistle saw Parkgate go into the break with a 0-2 lead and also saw the fog disappear, which didn’t give the hosts any new hopes as the Steelmen didn’t sit on their nil-two lead and managed the game well, cancelling all hopes of a Town second half comeback. The home side were becoming more and more frustrated as the match wore on. Final passes were too ambitious and Parkgate’s back-line of Elliott Simpson, Owen Fieldsend, Matt Crookes and Haydn Ward, easily dealt with the pressure of the longer ball from Selby.

Chris Butt, the Parkgate keeper, was rarely tested by the opposition strikers, with Selby shots being weak and not worthy of taking away Butt’s clean sheet.

In the 76th minute, Parkgate winger, Zak Khalifa, who had been tormenting Town’s defence all game. He took the ball on the left and drove into the Selby penalty area, beating two Selby defenders along the way. One on one with the Selby keeper, who was unable to make a save, and the ball hit the back of the net. Despite coming into the game as underdogs, Andy Dawson’s men deservedly travelled home with all three points.

The Parkgate players were overjoyed; they knew the game was won. The Robin’s also accepted the inevitable as did theirmany disappointed the home fans.

Parkgate Team: Chris Butt, Elliott Simpson(C), Haydn Ward, Matthew Crookes, Owen Fieldsend, Alex Pugh (George Morris), Reece Hands, Simon Harrison, Bruno Holden, Brandon Bagley (Lewis McMichael), Zak Khalifa.
Unused Sub: Mack Collinson.