A ROY Fogarty brace saw Selby Town to  a 2-1 victory over Clay Cross Town on Saturday, despite a late charge from the visitors.

Following a scintillating midweek display in the NCEL League Cup, the Robins returned to league action at the Fairfax Plant Hire Stadium.

Head coach Ryan Cooper named one change to the side that eased to victory over Retford United, with Iwan Heeley returning to the side in Josh Lindsey’s absence. A returning Jamie Danby joined debutant, Troy Greening, on the bench.

Adam Hewitson was drawn into action early on, denying the visitors the opening opportunity of the game.

Town weren’t to be discouraged by Clay Cross’ early advances though, Fogarty collecting the ball on the edge of the box before swiftly turning and firing the Robins into the lead with a well-driven shot into the bottom right corner.

From then on, it proved a something of a stalemate, with the hosts doing just enough to remain ahead. 

Hewitson denied the visitors once again whilst at the opposite end of the field, both Kyle Fish and Fogarty proved unable to double Town’s advantage.

Selby came out firing after the interval, breaking away instantly through Harry Clapham.

He fell to the ground inside the box, with the ball fumbled into Fogarty’s path, yet somehow eluding the net.

With the narrowest of margins, Clay Cross began to come back into the tie and showed a little menace in front of goal.

Dan Davison replaced Tom Palmer in Town’s first change of the afternoon, and it didn’t take long before the hosts saw momentum swing again in their favour. 

The Robins doubled their lead on the hour mark, Fogarty breaking free from his marker before firing a lovely strike across the face of goal and into the back of the net. 

That lead wouldn’t last long however, the visitors halving the deficit just six minutes later through Billy Brooks.

The minutes wore on with Town remaining on the front foot, but it soon became clear that Cooper’s side would have to fight to ensure the three points. 

Selby should have killed the game off five minutes from time after Clapham latched on to a peach of a cross from Heeley, but he could only fire straight at the goalkeeper.

However, two goals proved enough for the Robins to earn back-to-back wins and improve their league standing to 14th position.

They return to action tonight at Retford (7:45pm),in a repeat of the sides’ League Cup meeting earlier this month.

SELBY TOWN: Hewitson, McGrath, Gothard ©, Petch, St.Juste, Heeley, R. Fish (Danby 75’), K. Fish, Clapham, Fogarty, Palmer (Davison 57’).

UNUSED SUBS: Price, Racher, Greening.