Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Albion Sports 0-2 Tadcaster Albion
Tom Corner scored his first goal for Tadcaster in the 2-0 win at Albion Sports
Tadcaster Albion closed the gap between them and leaders Handsworth Parramore to two points.
Josh Greening set up both goals with perfect free-kick deliveries to which were headed in by defender Andy Milne and Tom Corner for his first for the club.
Tadcaster boss Billy Miller made three changes to the side that played out a goalless draw with Cleethorpes Town last week. Josh Barrett came in at right-back for the injured Jordan Armstrong, Conor Sellars came in for the ill Liam Ormsby and Adam Baker was preferred to Nick Black.
The first real effort of the afternoon came in the third minute and it included the aforementioned goal mouth. Conor Sellars’ cross from the left-hand side was cleared out to Jason Mycoe who took one touch and went for goal striking from 25 yards which bobbled into the muddy goal mouth but Kyle Trennary managed to palm it out for a corner.
The Brewers did in fact take the lead sixteen minutes later and the goal came from a set-piece. Josh Greening’s floated free-kick from the right-hand touch-line was flicked into the far corner and out of Trennary’s reach via a deflection from Temar Khan.
The home side were passing the ball about neatly with all attacks going through prolific striker Marcus Edwards and they could have actually equalised immediately after going a goal behind. Aran Basi’s lofted free-kick was headed down at the back post to Matthew Mathers whose first flicked effort was thwarted and sharply grasped by Gary Stevens.
For all of Albion Sports’ hard work, they were struggling to test Stevens in the Tadcaster goal as Joe Barden’s tame effort from 30 yards was comfortably picked up by the Taddy stopper.
Sports did think they had levelled the match up shortly after the half hour mark though as Edwards tapped in a parried Stevens save but was adjudged to have been offside.
With nine minutes to go until half-time, The Brewers doubled their lead and it came from another Josh Greening free-kick. The talented Greening curled in from the opposite side this time to Corner who did brilliantly to slow down his run and guide his header into the top corner from twelve yards out.
Taddy were growing in confidence and were looking more and more dangerous as the half ticked by. The Brewers should have been going into the break three goals to the good. Baker picked the ball up half-way in Sports’ half and it suddenly opened up for the attacker who glided past at least five yellow shirts and into the penalty box but saw his goal bound strike superbly blocked by Khan. The best chance however was probably the rebound as the flying block fell kindly for Corner who side-footed over from thirteen yards out.
The towering figure of Aran Basi found himself constantly battling with Beadle, Corner and co on a number of occasions as the midfielder curled narrowly wide on the stroke of half-time.
Into the second half and it was The Brewers who had the first sighting at goal as Josh Greening had a bouncing ball at his feet with his back to goal but the forward couldn’t generate the power required to trouble Trennary.
Taddy were looking to contain and soak up the pressure of Albion Sports in the second half to protect their two goal lead. The home side were always going to create opportunities though and this they did in the 57th minute as Alex Cusack’s free-kick was cleared out to the young midfielder Joe Barden who volleyed ferociously over from inside the penalty area.
The home side were having the vast majority of the ball in the second half but still struggled to create any clear cut chances as Cusack could only find the side-netting from an acute angle.
Edwards was the one for Albion Sports who was trying to make things happen, dropping deep to pick up the ball but the 28 goal striker was becoming increasingly frustrated as Taddy were defending terrifically.
With fifteen minutes to go, it looked as though Taddy were going to pick up a valuable three points and keep the pressure firmly on leaders Handsworth Parramore but Stevens was called into action. Cusack did well to pull back to Lewis Morgan whose slid shot was well saved by Gary Stevens.
Stevens was determined to keep the clean sheet intact as he easily tipped over Mohamed Kaba’s rasping drive from the left-hand side and then held Edwards’ long-range free-kick.
Tadcaster Albion: Stevens, Barrett, Clayton, Milne, Anderson, Mycoe, Baker (Black 74), Beadle, Corner (Stewart 62), Greening, Sellars (Conway 83). Sub unused: Heath.
Thanks to Jay Taylor for this report.