Under-dogs Glasshoughton Welfare damage Tadcaster Albion’s title chances

Top display: Paul Hagreen was the hero for Glasshoughton Welfare in their stunning 1-0 win at Tadcaster Albion

Caretaker manager Jon Miles hailed his players after under-dogs Glasshoughton Welfare severely damaged Tadcaster Albion’s Toolstation NCEL Premier Division title hopes in a shock 1-0 win at Ings Lane, writes James Grayson (Twitter: @jamesAgrayson).
Tom Carr’s second half penalty left leaders Tadcaster’s chances of winning promotion hanging by a thread as Brighouse Town, who have three games in hand, beat Worksop Parramore to go two points behind Paul Marshall’s men.
Marshall conceded that his team “weren’t good enough”.
The hero for Glasshoughton was young goalkeeper Paul Hagreen. The stopper conceded six last week against Barton Town Old Boys, but nothing could get past him at Tadcaster.
His and his team-mates’ magnificent performances earned Miles his second win since he replaced Rob Hunter and the interim Leeds Road chief said: “I’m very proud of them.
“They worked their socks off and from one to 14 they were all great. The game-plan worked. We went 4-5-1 with a centre-half at centre-forward who was there to close them down and defend from the front.
“We set up to defend and hoped to pinch one and as the game panned out and they had to throw everything at us, that’s what happened.
“I think we deserved it. As much as we defended, we had as many goal-scoring opportunities as they did. People probably wrote us off after seeing the Barton result.
“We also saw an outstanding goalkeeping performance from Paul Hagreen. A spilled one cross which I think was a foul on him, other than that his handling was near as perfect.
“His shot-stopping was fantastic and you forget he is only 19. It was a top performance.”

Reece Chappell congratulates Tom Carr (centre) after his 62nd minute penalty

A fair but crunching tackle on Tadcaster captain Nick Thompson by Adam Walsh set Glasshoughton’s stall out and sent the message out that they were there to cause a shock.
Even in the early stages, despite losing star man Del Pollock to a hamstring strain after just nine minutes, Glasshoughton caused the home side problems. Andy Seed lobbed goalkeeper Arran Reid and his effort went only just over the crossbar.
Tadcaster did move up a gear and Thompson was at the centre of two good chances. His first saw him lob Hagreen just inside the penalty area after finding space. That one went wide, while his other opportunity – a low strike – cannoned back off the post.
Hagreen started to steal the show as half-time dawned when he somehow blocked Carl Stewart’s header and then managed to divert the ball off-the-line as it roamed free.
The turning point was on the hour mark. Carr raced into the box and the ball was going out for a goal-kick, but goalkeeper Reid needlessly brought the midfielder down – giving the referee the easy decision of pointing to the spot.
Carr took the penalty and sent Reid the wrong way by placing the ball into the right-hand bottom corner – the first goal Tadcaster had conceded in 450 minutes.
Tadcaster’s response was lacklustre and Glasshougton even had two opportunities to double their lead. Carr headed over before stand-in striker Reece Chappell saw another header cleared off the line.

Paul Hagreen denys Carl Stewart late on as Tadcaster push for an equaliser

From there on it was all Tadcaster. Glasshoughton defended really well and centre-halves Jimmy Williams and Adam Walsh were throwing themselves at everything.
Hagreen came to the rescue in the 74 minutes as Stewart’s powerful attempt hit his head and went out for a corner. Substitute Danny Critchlow then wasted a good chance by heading wide inside the six-yard-box, despite being unmarked.
But for a team that needed to win there was to be no grand finale and dramatic equalising goals. Tadcaster did crank up the pressure deep into injury-time with Stewart’s looping header needing Hagreen’s hand to tip it over the crossbar.
Even goalkeeper Reid was up for the resulting corner and when the ball briefly cleared, he was crossing it back into the box for Nicky Deverdics to head for goal. The ball was heading home until Hagreen initially pushed it clear before firmly claiming it.
That was the last chance and the sad looks on the Tadcaster players’ faces as they walked off told the whole story.

Liam Kellett steals the ball from Tadcaster’s former Newcastle United youngster Nicky Deverdics

A string of favours are now needed to win the title and manager Marshall admitted his men had an off day, but he took nothing away from Glasshoughton.
“We were very poor,” he said after his side’s eight league matches unbeaten run ended.
“You get it now and then when you think you’re getting to a decent level where everyone is performing to a great level and then you get kicked in the nuts.
“Glasshoughton defended brilliantly all game and had more desire to stop a goal than we did to score a goal.
“If we had been here all day we wouldn’t have scored a goal. We were all huff and puff with no constructive passing. It was all long ball and it drained me watching them.
“When the ‘keeper made the save in the first half and then we hit the post I thought it could be one of those days. Their goalkeeper was outstanding, he was man of the match.
“He made some good saves, but we weren’t good enough as we didn’t perform to a level of what we have been performing at.
“You get what you deserve in football and Glasshoughton deserved something for their work rate. They worked really hard.”
Tadcaster Albion: Reid, Barrett, Bissett, Dixon (Taylor 66), Sparkes, Qualter (Batley 72), Thompson (captain), Deverdics, Ward (Critchlow 62), Stewart, Rice. Subs unused: Lawrie, Hope.
Glasshoughton Welfare: Hagreen, Serrao, Cressey, Tuck (captain), Williams, Walsh, Pollock (Kellett 9), Seed, Chappell, Carr, Prudhoe. Subs unused: Holverson, Leung.
Referee: P Cook
Ref Rating: 7/10
Attendance: TBC
Man of the match: Paul Hagreen (Glasshoughton Welfare)

Match Photos are HERE