Calum Ward fires Tadcaster Albion in front against his old club Glasshoughton Welfare. Photo: Ian Parker
Tadcaster Albion moved eight points clear at the top of the Toolstation NCEL Premier Division with a very comfortable 2-0 win at strugglers Glasshoughton Welfare.
FA Vase glory hunters Tadcaster took advantage of their rivals not playing in front of a bumper crowd at Leeds Road with a dominant display.
As usual Glasshoughton had to rely on their excellent young goalkeeper Josh Archer to keep the score down.
Midway through the first half, Josh Barrett stormed into the box and was bundled to the ground by Matt Cressey and a penalty was awarded.
And Archer came to the fore with a superb left-handed save to divert Carl Stewart’s placed spot kick around the post.
Archer retained his focus with further stops from Danny Gray before the visitors got their noses in front on the stroke of half-time.
Calum Ward, who caught the headlines playing for Glasshoughton last season, saw his thunderous volley was initially blocked, but the striker latched onto the loose ball and fired the ball into the bottom corner.
Former Selby striker Gray was denied again by Archer in the second half as Tadcaster piled on the pressure.
The home side only had two real chances and their cause wasn’t helped by Blaine Kellett’s red card for a challenge on Barrett.
David Brown leaps to the air after scoring Tadcaster’s second goal. Picture: Ian Parker
As a substitute for the second week running, David Brown caused problems for Glasshoughton and Archer initially had the upper hand with him.
Eventually Tadcaster did seal the points. New signing Danny Patterson’s neat cross toward Ward was played back across the box and Brown turned and finished with class.
His leap in the air to celebrate told his delight at returning to the score-sheet.
Tadcaster manager Paul Marshall said: “Well I am pleased we got the game on because it is another game out of the way.
“It wasn’t the prettiest game of football as the pitch was heavy and bobbly. It took them quite a while to break them down as Glasshoughton tried really hard and I think we just thought we were going to steamroll them and win the game comfortably.
“It is never going to work like that because we don’t do things like that these teams who put eight and ten past teams.
“We grind results out generally. There are some positives from it. I thought Josh Barrett was very good at right-back.
“Vinny (Dhesi) did very well and it was nice to see Browny get a goal. That killed the game.”
Tadcaster Albion: Morgan, Barrett, Miller, Ormsby, Sparkes, Milne, Thompson, Dhesi, Ward, Stewart (Brown), Gray (Patterson).
Referee: David Sullivan
Attendance: 248