Tadcaster take big step towards title

Toolstation NCEL Premier Division

Tadcaster Albion 1-0 Garforth Town

Tadcaster Albion took a big step towards promotion after a victory over local rivals Garforth Town at the i2i stadium.

Tom Corner’s unorthodox strike in the 28th minute was enough to see Taddy take all three points and put them within six of securing the title after Handsworth lost at Brigg.

All of the nerves around the ground were almost calmed after just three minutes. Jimmy Beadle’s pile driver was well blocked, Conor Sellars’ pace and trickery allowed him to beat his man and fire on target but that was well saved and finally Corner’s rebound was magnificently deflected out for a corner.

The Brewers were on a mission were looking increasingly menacing in the opening stages of the match but they squandered another fantastic opportunity after seven minutes played. Jono Greening’s teasing free-kick from the left-hand side seemed to drift through everyone but Dominic Smith did well to keep it out but only to Corner who frustratingly blazed over from three yards out.

Garforth were struggling to get out of their own half in the first ten minutes but you sensed that this was their game plan, to frustrate Taddy and try to take their chances when they came around.

But less than sixty seconds later Taddy came close once more. Dan Clayton bombarded down his natural left wing and delivered a perfect cross onto the head of an unmarked Josh Greening but the header was straight at Smith.

After nine minutes played Tadcaster could have easily been three goals to the good and that is no exaggeration. In the ninth minute the watching on Taddy faithful thought they had taken the lead, but Sellars’ volleyed trickled just the wrong side of the post.

The first time the visitors seriously challenged in Tad’s half wasn’t until the 24th minute as a long ball forward was chased down by Curtly Martin-Wyatt, but Gary Stevens was alert to the danger as he came flying out of his goal to impressively head clear.

Garforth actually had their first effort at goal a minute later as the towering aforementioned figure of Martin-Wyatt saw his powerful strike bounce just wide of the target.

The deadlock was broken in the 28th minute and it was The Brewers who scored it and thoroughly deserved their lead after a positive first half hour. Josh Barrett’s fizzing cross was not dealt with by Dominic Smith in the Garforth goal. Josh Greening picked up the loose ball and fired goal wards to which Corner controlled and unusually flicked a looping effort off his shin which slowly flew over Luke McCrum and Smith.

The lead was almost doubled immediately as Tad nearly netted a misery compiler but Beadle’s header dipped just over the crossbar from Sellars’ free-kick.

Garforth can’t have been happy with the amount of touches that Tadcaster were being allowed to have in the penalty box as the one-way traffic wasn’t looking like relenting.

Taddy soared at the Miners’ defence with Josh Greening spraying a ball over the top to the rapid Sellars who did terrifically to keep the ball in play in the first place. Sellars, who was having another exceptional game for The Brewers with his tremendous pace and trickery and these skillsets again allowed him to drive back inside the penalty area but the attack fizzled out with Adam Baker’s strike never troubling Smith.

The Brewers were displaying their trademark intricate final third attacking play but they just couldn’t find a second goal to give themselves a cushion. Josh Greening thought he had perfectly set up captain Beadle with a clever lob over the defence but Beadle just couldn’t bring down under control.

Beadle came close again with another header which dropped narrowly over the goal as Tad went into the break a goal to the good.

If the visitors were going to get back into the game it was definitely going to be striker and top scorer Martin-Wyatt. Any sniffs at goal for Garforth were falling to Martin-Wyatt and ten minutes into the second half the striker pulled off to the back post but headed a cross into the side-netting.

The score line may have only been at 1-0 but The Brewers never really looked like conceding as the vast majority of the half was played in Garforth’s half with Taddy prodding and probing for a second goal.

Every side usually gets one big chance in a match and this was the case for Garforth and that big chance fell to substitute Mark Simpson. Simpson was played in down the left hand side but his shot kissed off the top of the crossbar and over the target as The Brewers breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed like it was only a matter of time until Tad netted a second as they were that dominant and knocking on the door that much but every attack was nearly but not quite with Josh Greening almost threading it through to substitute Carl Stewart.

Second substitute and former Garforth man Nick Black came close with five minutes to go after confidently controlling and driving at the Miners’ defence before unleashing a low fizzing effort which forced Smith to get down and push away from danger.

Tadcaster Albion: Stevens, Barrett, Clayton, Milne, Mycoe, Jono Greening, Baker (Black 65), Beadle, Corner (Stewart 65), Josh Greening, Sellars. Subs unused: Armstrong, Murphy, Conway.

Thanks to Jay Taylor for this report.