Worksop Town 1-2 Tadcaster Albion

In front of a crowd of an astonishing 879 at Sandy Lane, Tadcaster Albion’s game plan was executed to perfection going to fellow title rivals Worksop Town and beating them 2-1 in a thoroughly deserved and professional victory.

The Brewers got off to the perfect start as Nick Black curled in a beauty after just three minutes followed by Jason Mycoe’s low sizzling strike half-way through the half made it 2-0. The Tigers were reduced to 10 men in the second half and then pulled a goal back in stoppage time through Steven Woolley however Taddy held on to win the match which was deserved and acknowledged by both sets of fans.

Taddy boss Billy Miller made just the one change to the win against Nostell Miners Welfare on Saturday with Adam Baker coming back into the starting line-up replacing George Conway.

It was a phenomenal atmosphere in the ground with both sets of fans singing their hearts out making it feel like a proper Football League match, incredible for a NCEL Premier Division game.

The match did not take long to kick-in as The Brewers were at it from the first whistle pumping the pressure on the home side. The tone for the first half was set in the first minute as a corner curled in by Josh Greening was only nervously dealt with by the home side.

Into the third minute and Taddy’s electric start reaped a reward as Adam Baker broke down the right-hand side and cut back to Nick Black on the edge of the penalty area who struck first time and brilliantly curled the ball into the far corner to send the travelling TSC into raptures.

With 20 minutes gone of the first half the home side slowly started working their way back into the contest in terms of possession but The Brewers’ shape, solidarity and team cohesion never looked like it was going to be broken through as The Tigers created virtually nothing in terms of chances. They tended to keep the ball and move it about very well however that was as far as it went, Gary Stevens in the Taddy goal wasn’t having to make a save and the back four looked went and truly solid.

It was a different story at the other end as every time Taddy broke forward with pace, Worksop didn’t look comfortable and this showed even more in the 25th minute as Tadcaster doubled their lead and you couldn’t say it wasn’t deserved. Jason Mycoe picked the ball up on the half-way line, this is a holding midfielder remember, Jason carried the ball further and further forward, Jordan Cooke backed off and backed off and there comes a time where you have to let fly and Jason Mycoe certainly did so on this occasion hammering in a bullet from 25 yards to send the Taddy army into ecstasy as “Can you hear the Worksop sing?” rung around from the segregated away section.

It could have got even sweeter for Tadcaster just past the half hour mark as Josh Greening’s corner looped towards the back post where Andy Milne had spun his man but the defender’s touch somehow bounced just the wrong side of the post amongst a flurry of players.

That chance for Milne was a half decent one however, it was nothing compared to Nick Black’s chance right on the stroke of half-time. It really should have been 3-0 to The Brewers and that would have completely killed the game off. Liam Ormsby played it out-wide to winger Adam Baker who had the pace to beat his man and slide a cross onto the penalty spot where Nick Black just had to hit the target from six yards out however the striker hit into the ground which made the ball bounce agonizingly over the goal although the ball did seem to take a bobble before he struck it.

Black was to have another chance before the referee called time on the first half as Greening’s corner once again caused problems as goalkeeper Jon Kennedy unconvincingly palmed the ball up into the air but Black jumped too soon and ended up landing back on the ground trying to head past Kennedy but he just couldn’t generate enough power.

Half-Time: Worksop Town 0-2 Tadcaster Albion

Going into the second half the match certainly wasn’t over as 2-0 is always a score line that if Worksop get the next goal its game on whereas if Taddy get it its game over.

It was clear from the outset of the second half that The Brewers were looking to sit deep and frustrate the home side, although having said that it could have easily been 3-0 to Albion in the first minute of the half as Adam Baker burst through the Tigers defence but shot over from the edge of the area.

Worksop started to have more and more of the ball around Tad’s penalty box but again, they weren’t shooting, they were just passing it sideways waiting for the perfect opportunity which never came and The Brewers’ solid back-line kept snuffing them out.

Taddy’s ferocious pressing was absolutely outstanding; Worksop couldn’t live with it as there style of play had to be rushed and with the midfield pair of Mycoe and Ormsby hunting the ball back in front of the back four, the game plan was working impeccably and the home side had no answer.

Connor Sellars looked lively when coming on for The Tigers as he struck a thunderbolt from 30 yards just over the crossbar. The home side then finally had a meaningful attempt on goal twenty minutes into the half as Mitch Husbands struck powerfully towards the far corner but Gary Stevens who had a quiet night pulled out a tremendous full stretch save to keep the home side at bay.

However, things went from bad to worse for the home side in the 67th minute as centre-back Julian Lawrence was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for scything down Josh Greening meaning Worksop would have ten men for the remaining 25 minutes.

The Brewers thought they made it 3-0 shortly after as a real controversial moment occurred. Adam Baker was down with cramp on the edge of the Worksop box, Taddy had a free-kick just inside the Tigers’ half and the referee said to Jimmy Beadle that he can play to which Beadle magnificently scored from at least 45 yards. The referee then disallowed the goal much to the annoyance of Tadcaster’s players and I think it was fair to say Beadle was fuming.

With Worksop pushing hard and men forward to somehow find a way back into the match, this did mean that they were exposed and short at the back meaning The Brewers had a real chance of killing the game off on the counter attack and they nearly did just that as Nick Black pulled it back to Liam Ormsby who beat two and struck true and low but Kennedy made a strong one-handed save.

Taddy thought they were going to keep a clean sheet against a normally prolific Worksop side however, it wasn’t to be as in the third minute of stoppage time Sellars pulled it back to Steven Woolley who cleverly controlled and struck into the far corner to set up a somewhat nervy finish for the away fans.

However the whistle was eventually blown and The Brewers recorded a terrific victory 2-1 over Worksop Town keeping Taddy at the top of the league.

Full-Time: Worksop Town 1-2 Tadcaster Albion

Both sets of fans were absolutely brilliant throughout the 90 minutes however it was disappointing to see some trouble arise after the match as a small portion of home fans confronted the away fans. It was a small minority that ruined it for everyone and it is a shame that it has somewhat overshadowed the events on the field for what was an outstanding non-league football match.

TEAM: Stevens, Armstrong, Clayton, Milne, Heath, Mycoe, Ormsby , Baker (Stewart 82), Greening, Beadle, Black
Unused Subs: Thompson, Barrett, Beestin & Woodhead