Selby Town will be able to defend the Northern Counties East League President's Cup they won in April, League chiefs have confirmed.

Just like last year, only the top eight in the previous season's final standings qualify for the competition, and although the Robins finished ninth, they have scraped in through the back door.

The first division Robins beat Ossett Albion 3-2 in last season's final to end a near 40-year wait for silverware, and it is thanks to Albion's promotion to the UniBond League (with no-one coming in the opposite direction) that Selby have gained the spare place in this year's competition. The draw for the first round is yet to take place.

Selby, who blew hot and cold last season, will be looking to get their league campaign off to a flier tomorrow as they visit Liversedge, who finished six places and 15 points below them last time out.

The NCEL's match of the day sees Goole entertain Brigg Town, with both teams likely to have title aspirations this term.

Brigg are the reigning champions, missing out on promotion only through ground grading, while Goole finished fourth having been up with the leaders for much of the campaign.

Pickering Town's first game back in the NCEL top flight has already been cancelled as hosts Borrowash, the other promoted club, have had pitch drainage problems.

They will play a practice match against their reserves on Tuesday after completing their friendly fixtures this week with a 2-1 defeat of York and District League side Huntington Rovers, Mark Wilgrass and Stefan Zoll scoring, following their 3-0 defeat last week of a young Scarborough XI, where Phil O'Reilly (2) and Gavin Dickinson netted.

The NCEL's bottom club last season, Tadcaster Albion, will no doubt be hoping for more luck this term, having suffered a plethora of problems, not least the damage and disruption caused by the floods, last year.

They open their division one campaign with a difficult trip to Hall Road Rangers, who were in the promotion frame for a large part of last season.

Updated: 12:05 Friday, August 17, 2001