Selby Warriors' title credentials will come under scrutiny on Saturday when they take on Park Amateurs in a top-of-the-table clash at Sandhill Lane (ko 2.30pm).

Park head Pennine League division five on points difference from Bank Top Harriers in second and Selby in third, but Warriors, fresh from their 38-16 cup win at Clayton 'A', are confident they can get their noses in front.

Former professional Shaun Austerfield may have joined Heworth, but the Warriors have been strengthened by the recruitment of Dave Patterson and the return of the long-serving Barker brothers, Colin and Sean, who scored 30 tries between them last term.

The duo played their first game of the season against Clayton, but it was scrum-half Patterson who stole the limelight with a hat-trick on his debut. Other try-scorers were player-coach Andy Rowe, skipper Carl Bardauskas, Mark Adam and impressive prop John Broadhurst.

Wayne Fennell, unlike Bardauskas, lost his record of crossing in every game this term, but landed five goals and topped the tackle count at full-back.

Selby led 20-10 at the break and would probably have benefited from the slope more in the second half had tempers not spilled over so much so that Bardauskas was sent off for retaliating to an elbow in the face and Colin Barker sin-binned after another bout of fisticuffs.

York Groves will hope to do the same to Clayton as Selby did as they host the West Yorkshiremen in another division five fixture. Clayton are without a win so far this season while the Terriers occupy a mid-table spot.

York Acorn 'A', whose winning start to the division four season was ended by leaders Wyke last week, have another table-top clash on Saturday as they entertain third-placed Thornton.

Updated: 10:48 Thursday, October 28, 2004