Selby Town 0 - 0 AFC Emley

Automatic promotion still possible after draw against Selby, reports Luke Greaves

AFC Emley battled hard for a point in a 0-0 draw against Selby Town at the Fairfax Plant Hire Stadium this afternoon.

Either side may well have snatched a second half winner, but ultimately, a draw was a fair result as the Pewits extended their unbeaten run to ten games and recorded a fourth consecutive clean sheet.

Pontefract Collieries dropped three points after losing to Yorkshire Amateur today, but Hall Road Rangers put Nostell Miners Welfare to the sword

Thus, Emley’s hopes of automatic promotion now hang by a thread. Only a steep victory against mid-table Glasshoughton Welfare is likely to send the Pewits to the Premier Division.

Manager Darren Hepworth was praying for a goal that never came away at Selby, a fixture which has caused upsets in recent history.

Robins’ goalkeeper Peter Lawrie flapped Jordan Coduri’s early cross away after being pressurised by Ashley Flynn, but Tom Robinson wasn’t on his toes to pick up the pieces.

The hosts enjoyed fluent spells of football from which they created chances.

Jamie Hainsworth’s header dipped onto the top of the net rather than in it and Callum Turrell couldn’t nod in at the back post.

At the other end, the aerial threat of Tom Brennan and Sam Jerome nearly paid dividends as the latter headed straight into the palms of Lawrie.

After a relatively slow first half in sun-kissed Selby, the visitors started the second half at a faster pace.

Liam Schofield found a way through Selby’s defence and squared to Robinson on the penalty spot, but Lawrie spread himself to deny Emley’s best chance of the game.

The heat began to tell as the players tired, but that wouldn’t stop a late rush of opportunities at both ends.

Flynn, who scored a hat-trick on the same ground in the League Cup earlier this season, was thwarted by a sprawling Lawrie with two minutes remaining.

But there was still time for a Selby sucker-punch. Substitute Jordan Emery found space in the area but chipped wide of the target in the third minute of stoppage time.

Both Pontefract and Hall Road play before Emley kick a ball against Glasshoughton at the Fantastic Media Welfare Ground next Saturday at 3.00.

Fans can expect goals next week, in what promises to be a thrilling match to draw a breath-taking season to a close.