Evo Stik Division One North
Tadcaster Albion 2-1 Bamber Bridge
Josh Greening is congratulated by his teammates after scoring during the Evo Stik Division One North match between Tadcaster Albion and Bamber Bridge. Picture: Matthew Appleby
Goals from brothers Josh Greening and Jonathan Greening saw Tadcaster Albion to a victory over Bamber Bridge and back-to-back home league wins for only the second time this season,
The win comes as a welcome respite for the Brewers after frustrating defeats at Droylsden and Scarborough.
Groundsman Dave Wakefield should be commended for getting the pitch through a mid-morning inspection, although as expected it deteriorated heavily as the game progressed.
When the pitch was at its worst, Albion were at their best as they completely dominated the second half and could have had two or three more.
After an even start to the game, Brig were in front after eight minutes.
A poor clearance from Gregg Anderson fell to Michael Potts, whose dipping left-footed shot took a foul bounce off a divot in the box and flew past a helpless Chandler Hallwood in goal.
The Brewers looked to respond as Josh Grant’s threatening left-wing cross was just cut out at the near post, before a curling Jonathan Greening effort struck the angle of bar and post.
The visitors, meanwhile, weren’t particularly creative and relied on a free-kick to threaten when Jamie Milligan’s delivery was tipped out for a corner by Hallwood pedalling back.
Albion were full of positive intent but in the first half their final pass was out of kilter and attacks were repeatedly built up with care only to break down 20 or 30 yards from goal.
It was a nearly game for former Harrogate Railway midfielder Dan Thirkell, volleying over in the box and firing wide from a Rob Youhill cross both in the first half.
Although they went into the break trailing, the Brewers had a decent case for a penalty ignored when a headlock on Tom Corner went unnoticed at a corner.
The former Scarborough Athletic target man didn’t get a goal but he did everything else for his side. He’s the reference point for all attacks and there can’t be many Evo-Stik strikers who are so adept aerially in all parts of the pitch.
Corner came close seconds after the resumption when he stabbed wide from another excellent Youhill cross, but he would only have to wait another two minutes before an equaliser came.
After Josh Barrett made another calm interception, Jonathan Greening hooked the ball forward and Josh Greening latched onto it, beating Phil Doughty to the bounce and finishing low into the bottom right.
Barrett cut a frustrated figure on the wing before his re-invention as a defender, formerly as a right-back before moving into the middle due to injuries. Having bulked out significantly, he has the pace and power to get the better of most strikers from centre-half and has improved beyond recognition.
Thirkell came close once again when he glanced a header wide of the far post from a Conor Sellars corner and Tom Corner nearly put Tad in front only to lose his footing in the box with a Grant cross sitting up nicely for the striker.
The winner came from the right-hand side and was a well-worked effort in the 73rd minute.
Youhill played Josh Greening in and he put a perfectly weighted cutback into the path of Jonathan Greening; few doubted that the experienced campaigner would fluff his lines from 12 yards and he planted in an emphatic finish.
Brig were in average side in most ways, apart from the way in which right-side centre half Josh Heaton read the game. They failed to threaten in the last 15 minutes, apart from when Hallwood sprinted out to claim an Adam Dodd cross that wasn’t there to be caught.
It is wins such as this- against teams such as this- that will ensure it’s a comfortable end to the Brewers’ first season at this level.
The Team
Tadcaster Albion: Hallwood; Armstrong, Anderson, Barrett, Grant; Youhill, Thirkell, Sellars, Greening; Greening; Corner. Subs unused: Ibrahimi, Shepherd, Hansen, Stewart, Wrigglesworth