Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Tadcaster Albion 1-2 Clipstone
Nick Black heads home for Tadcaster late-on. Picture: Ian Parker
Tadcaster opened the door for Handsworth Parramore to go top tonight after losing to Clipstone at the i2i Sports Stadium last night.
The Brewers were looking to go four points clear at the top of the NCEL Premier Division, but the plan did not go right against Billy Fox’s side.
It was the visitors who had the first meaningful attempt at goal. George Milner struck powerfully from an acute angle on the right side of the penalty box as stand-in goalkeeper saved well.
Milner had another promising shot on target shortly after however, The Cobas did indeed open the scoring in the 25th minute. Nicky Walker carried the ball unchallenged for an alarming distance and the striker punished Taddy with a neat left-footed drive into the bottom right corner from 19 yards.
The home side were struggling to break down Clipstone’s solid and packed backline as their game plan was clearly frustrating Taddy. However The Brewers did start to carve out a couple of half chances.
First of those dropped to defender Andy Milne who spun off from the pack and was picked out from Josh Greening’s free-kick but Milne’s guided diving header was straight at goalkeeper Steve Hernandez.
And secondly Josh Greening’s cross from the left-hand side was nervously deflected onto the post by Liam Kay with Hernandez beaten. The rebound dropped to Adam Baker six yards out who volleyed way over the mark.
Ten minutes later and the home side came close to equalising again with another headed attempt. Jonathan Greening dug out a deep cross from the left to the make shift full-back Nick Thompson who got up superbly but headed wide. It was a mixture of a headed shot and a headed cross as the midfielder’s effort was agonisingly missed by Josh Greening.
The aforementioned missed chances were rued even more right on the stroke of half-time as Clipstone doubled their lead. Incidentally it came from a Tadcaster corner as the visitors broke out rapidly and looked to catch their opposition out. A ball was played down the left hand side to which defender Milne stepped up to try and play offside but unfortunately the attacker Walker was in his own half meaning he was away and clean through on goal.
Walker, already full of confidence following his early goal carried the ball goal wards, took it round Leon Wrigglesworth and rolled the ball into the net to send the Cobras in two up at the break.
Into the second half and The Brewers had to perform much better than they did in a lacklustre first half. Taddy were throwing bodies forward and Clipstone had the vast majority of bodies back in defence as expected which made for a tense half as Taddy looked to pull the game back.
It looked like they were going to be given a perfect opportunity to start the comeback two minutes into the half after Josh Greening clearly touched the ball first before being kicked by Chris Fawcus however the referee wasn’t convinced.
The whole of the second forty five was played in the Clipstone half as it was purely attack vs defence.
Jonathan Greening came close to unlocking the door on the stroke of the hour but his shot from the edge of the penalty area bounced inches wide.
However having said that, with thirteen minutes to go Taddy did pull a goal back to set up a grandstand finale at the i2i stadium. Josh Greening’s whipped free-kick was unorthodoxly and unconvincingly saved by Steve Hernandez as his outstretched left hand palmed the ball right into the path of substitute Nick Black who nodded in from a couple of yards out.
Black had a great chance to become the real hero of the night with a handful of minutes remaining. Adam Baker got to the by-line down the left wing and chipped backwards to Black whose chested control sat up perfectly to strike. The attacker let it bounce once and then let fly on the half volley but the fierce strike on goal was straight at Hernandez who parried but Michael Trench was on hand to hook clear.
With the amount of bodies The Brewers were pushing forward to try and spark a comeback, this did leave the opportunity for the visitors to hit on the counter-attack and their one real chance of the second half came on the break of course. Ellis Wall drove at the defence, dropped his shoulder and shot comfortably over the goal.
Set-pieces seemed to be Tadcaster’s most likely way of finding an equaliser and they created another fantastic chance to do just that with the time rapidly running out. Josh Greening’s lofted free-kick landed on the unmarked head of substitute Carl Stewart who flicked just over the crossbar.
Into the five minutes of added on time and that one chance that you wait for did some but again it was squandered. Greening’s corner was met by Black at the front post who had burst onto the scene unmarked but once more the header flew narrowly over the target. It looked like Black’s attempt flicked off his shoulder following on from his head.
Tadcaster Albion: Wrigglesworth, Thompson (Black 61), Clayton, Milne, Anderson (captain), Mycoe (Stewart 61), Sellars, Ormsby, Baker, Josh Greening, Jonathan Greening. Subs Unused: Heath & Woodhead.
Thanks to Jay Taylor for this report.