Toolstation NCEL League Cup
Parkgate 1-3 Tadcaster Albion
Connor Sellars in action for Tadcaster at Parkgate. Picture: Ian Parker
Tadcaster Albion progressed into the League Cup fourth round with victory at Parkgate.
Two goals in the first 13 minutes from Conor Sellars and Adam Baker made it look like it was going to be a long night for Parkgate however they bit back at the start of the second half with Jake Ashton heading past Gary Stevens. The Steelmen pushed hard for an equaliser in the second half but it was The Brewers who netted the fourth and final goal of the tie as Jonathan Greening rounded off a sublime counter attack.
It was Tadcaster who flew out of the blocks. Adam Baker’s reverse through ball to Conor Sellars was cutely flicked around goalkeeper Spink by the former Worksop man but the shot rolled agonisingly wide of the mark.
The Brewers came close once again to taking the lead in the opening minutes as Sellars’ deep corner was met by Gregg Anderson whose header was deflected narrowly over the crossbar.
Taddy did however break the deadlock in the 10th minute with Conor Sellars scoring his first goal for the club. One half of the goal was fortunate and the other half was utter brilliance. John Lufubu played it back to his goalkeeper who back tracked and passed it to Andy Higgins who was facing the other way and already jogging out. The ball comically cannoned off the defender’s ankles and fell to the lurking Sellars and there was nothing lucky about the finish. The attacker turned past the unfortunate Higgins and perfectly chipped over the Parkgate stopper with his weaker left-foot.
Taddy were in full flow and they doubled their lead just three minutes later. Full-back Jordan Armstrong clipped it in to Josh Greening who pulled off one of his clever flicks to the in-sync Jimmy Beadle who shifted it straight back to Greening before unleashing a shot from 23 yards which was the right height for Spink and he comfortably palmed the strike away. However Conor Sellars was quickest to react to the loose ball on the right hand side and he pulled back to Adam Baker who smashed in from six yards.
Parkgate were struggling to cope with the potent Taddy attackers and with 15 minutes gone it was very nearly 3-0 and game over. Jordan Armstrong marauded down the right-hand side and curled a cross in to Josh Greening who brilliantly flicked goal wards but Spink stopped well.
Taddy somewhat relented and Parkgate did then work their way back into the cup tie and had their first half chance after 27 minutes. A cross from the left travelled all the way through to right-back John Lufubu who was standing out for the home side and he wriggled past Dan Clayton and squeezed a cross in towards Jake Ashton but the striker’s scrappy effort couldn’t get past a mixture of Anderson and Stevens.
The Brewers were still looking dangerous when surging forward as Armstrong played it down the line for Sellars, who were both working brilliantly together, got to the by-line and dug out a cross to the back post where Jimmy Beadle waited but Andy Higgins flicked away before the Tadcaster captain could attack it.
Taddy were looking to wrap up the cup tie in the first half and had another brilliant chance to do so just before half-time as Liam Ormsby threaded an eye of a needle through ball in behind to Adam Baker who struck a low shot into the side netting.
Into the second half and the home side got off to the perfect possible start as they pulled a goal back just five minutes into the half. Alex Lill stretched his legs down the left-hand side and whipped in a cross to Jake Ashton who flicked a header downwards which crept underneath Gary Stevens in the Taddy goal.
The second half wasn’t a classic by any means as both sides were misplacing passes left, right and centre and chances were few and far between.
Credit to Parkgate though, they were giving it a real good go to level the tie and did come close on a number of occasions. The best chance for the home side came with 15 left on the watch as a low driven cross down the corridor of uncertainty was almost met by a diving in attacker who just couldn’t stretch enough to tap into the gaping net.
The Brewers could not replicate their superb first half performance but they did create half a chance in the 82nd minute. Jimmy Beadle sprayed a terrific ball out to substitute Nick Black who pulled back to the unmarked Josh Greening on the edge of the box but the striker’s shot was tame and easy for Richard Spink to hold onto.
Into the final few minutes and Tadcaster Albion wrapped up the tie in exceptional fashion. The goal actually came from a Parkgate corner and as it got cleared Nick Black broke out from the back and powered through midfield carrying the ball over 40 yards before shifting it to Josh Greening who kept it moving by finding Beadle. The Taddy skipper waited and waited for the bursting run of Jonathan Greening and timed his square pass to perfection as Greening took it in his stride and coolly stroked it past the Parkgate goalkeeper to send Taddy through to Round 4 of the NCEL League Cup.
Tadcaster Albion: Stevens, Armstrong, Clayton, Heath, Anderson, Ormsby, Sellars (Barrett 77), Jonathan Greening, Beadle (Stewart 86), Josh Greening, Baker (Black 73). Sub unused: Milne.
Thanks to Jay Taylor for this report.