Selston continued their push for promotion with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Mickleover RBL at The Parish on Easter weekend, in a game heavily dictated by difficult conditions.

Manager Lee Stevenson made four changes to the side that won last time out, with Haywood, Cockram, Moore and Hawkins coming into the starting XI.

In dry but blustery conditions, the wind proved to be the dominant factor throughout, making fluid football difficult for both sides. Selston started the brighter, with Josh Smith forcing an early save on four minutes, rising well to meet an in swinging corner only to see the goalkeeper gather comfortably.

Chances remained limited as both teams battled the elements, though Selston held a slight edge in possession and territory, using the wind to deliver dangerous balls into the box.

The game was briefly halted on 26 minutes when the assistant referee was forced off through injury, with an RBL substitute stepping in to run the line following discussions between both benches.

Selston took the lead on the stroke of half-time. A dangerous in swinging corner from Jack Cockram caused confusion in the visitors’ box, with the goalkeeper’s attempted punch ricocheting off his own defender and into the net.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with few clear-cut chances. Archie Hawkins stood out for Selston, showing composure in difficult conditions and consistently driving the team forward, linking well with Layton and Bowering.

Stevenson made changes to freshen things up, introducing Reynolds for Layton on 63 minutes, and Hines for Hawkins on 72. Ward was also introduced late on as Selston looked to see the game out.

With Branon Meehan commanding his area well, Selston remained solid at the back. After an extended period of stoppage time, the referee finally brought proceedings to a close, securing a valuable three points.

The result keeps Selston firmly in the title race, with added encouragement coming from elsewhere as league leaders Graham Street Prims suffered defeat.

Manager Lee Stevenson said: “It wasn’t a pretty game, but in conditions like that it was always going to be about finding a way to win, and the lads did exactly that.

“I thought we managed the game well, stayed disciplined, and took advantage of a key moment. Defensively we were solid again, and that’s giving us a real platform at the moment.

“It was good to have a full week without a midweek fixture as well — the players needed that rest, especially with what’s coming next. We’ve got a really busy period ahead with three games a week through April, so we’ll need the whole squad ready.”

By James Naylor