Selby beat Caldy 35-27 to reach the fourth round of Powergen Intermedi-ate Cup for the first time ever.

Caldy are in North 2 West, one level above Selby, but in one of the best games seen at Sandhill Lane since Selby's Yorkshire Cup run four years ago, the hosts won the ding-dong battle thanks to a penalty and try late on.

Winger Dan Porter booted Selby in front in the first minute and they continued to dominate, but the direct play of Caldy's Tongan duo, Waitangi Halatanu and Loa Tupou, and centre Marcus Coast looked threatening, and it was their efforts, aided by poor tackling, that set up Caldy's first try for stand-off Chris Young, Coast goaling.

However, Selby's forwards, led by skipper Andrew Pocklington, continued to impress, and when they took a scrum on the Caldy five-metre line rather than kick a penalty, scrum-half Mathew Smith wriggled over.

Porter missed the easy conversion and, five minutes later, Caldy were back in front via a penalty.

Porter missed a penalty before Selby regained the lead when Andy Gabel's progress preceded a maul which took Shane Sellers over, Porter goaling.

Caldy levelled before the break when stand-off Chris Young launched a massive cross kick and full-back Liam Devaney raced in to touch down, but soon after the restart, the Caldy scrum-half was penalised for feeding at a scrum three metres from his own line and Selby went ahead again as Mathew Smith tapped to his backs where centre Gabel forced his way over. Porter's conversion made it 22-15.

Selby number eight Wright Phillips was yellow carded for handling in the ruck and Caldy made the most of the extra man with Andy Wise crossing.

A penalty was then missed by Porter but he made amends when the referee changed a free-kick award to another penalty. Nevertheless, Caldy were coming more into it, despite Phillips' return, and they stole the ball to put flanker Wise over near the posts, the conversion putting them back in front.

The game was slipping away from Selby but Coast missed a penalty and, then, with three minutes on the clock, Caldy's Jonathan McGurk was yellow carded for illegal use of the boot.

The penalty near the touchline was goaled for a 28-27 lead and Selby continued to press, being rewarded in added-on time when Shaun Austerfield sprinted over with Porter goaling.

Updated: 11:05 Monday, November 08, 2004