Match Report: Taddy Pull Off Incredible Late Comeback Against Rivals To Go Top

The first half was largely dominated by the home side as Matty Turnbull's 11th minute header sent The Pikes into the break ahead after a poor half from The Brewers.

It took Tad until the 87th minute to get on the score sheet as Andy Milne's header was adjudged to have crossed the line.

Unbelievably Taddy had come from behind within the space of two minutes as with one minute of normal time left, Jimmy Beadle rose highest and nodded in Josh Greening's corner to send the travelling fans into ecstasy.

In the final seconds of the dramatic contest Taddy netted a third with Carl Stewart unselfishly teeing up Adam Baker to tap in and round off an astonishing night.

Tadcaster boss Billy Miller made two alterations to the side that held off Thackley on Saturday with Jordan Armstrong & Conor Sellars replacing Adam Baker & Josh Barrett.

Former Brewers manager Paul Marshall named no fewer than four ex-Taddy players in his starting eleven with a further four on the bench.

It was a gorgeous sun packed evening in Pickering and it was the home side who made the brighter start with both full-backs putting in dangerous crosses – both coming to nothing.

Ged Dalton was looking lively up top in the early stages for the home side with some nice foot work in the final third but it was the visitors who carved out the first real chances in the match. Jonathan Greening's teasing cross invited target man Tom Corner to attack but the frontman couldn't stretch enough to head goalwards. The attack wasn't over there though as several seconds later Jimmy Beadle had a good opportunity to test Pete Lawrie but the Taddy skipper blasted two inches over the mark from the edge of the area.

Credit to Pickering though who were playing some impressive football with confidence clearly instilled from leader Paul Marshall, who was looking to get one over on his former side along with the ex Taddy bunch.

It was in fact the home side who scored the opening goal of the contest in the 11th minute. Joe Danby's curling free-kick was nodded past the hapless Gary Stevens by Matty Turnbull. The defender seemed to ghost into the box and was surprisingly given free rein to jump unchallenged and head past Stevens who seemed to lose the flight of the ball.

A couple minutes after the Pikes took the lead they almost doubled their advantage. Sam Calvert showed clever play and impressive vision to switch the play to the free Niall Tilsley who controlled a struck a dipping volley narrowly over Stevens' goal.

Pickering were having the vast majority of the ball in the first half as they sprayed it around confidently at the Recreation ground much to the delight of the home fans.

Jonathan Greening was a bright spark as ever for Taddy down the left-hand side and he almost teed up his younger brother Josh inside the penalty area. The former West Brom & Fulham midfielder breezed past Denny Ingram, raced towards the goal & pulled a cross back looking for Josh Greening but credit to Nathan Kanara who read the attack and swooped across to slide clear.

Taddy worked more and more back into the contest as the half went on as Jonathan Greening surged beyond Pickering's midfield and looked to scoop Beadle in behind but the fancy through ball was just too heavy for the Taddy number 8.

The home side were looking dangerous 9 times out of 10 on the attack but Nathan Kamara thought he'd cut out everyone by letting fly from 30 yards - he struck it magnificently but Stevens managed to fingertip the rasping drive over the crossbar.

Something had to change in the second half if Taddy were going to get anything from the match as the home side were well worthy of their lead.

It was clear from the start of the second period that Pickering's impressive intensity wasn't to be replicated as The Brewers started knock knock knocking on the pikes' door from the off.

It looked like it was going to be a long half for the home side as all of the football was being played in Pickering’s half, could they hold off Taddy's deadly attack for 45 minutes?

Two minutes into the half Dan Clayton went on a mazy marauding run from left-back gliding past three blue shirts with ease before striking powerfully straight down Lawrie's throat.

Taddy were trying to pull off their intricate little Arsenal style moves all night but it just wasn’t clicking into the place. However they created their best chance of the match and came incredibly close to levelling with less than 5 minutes played in the second half.

Jonathan Greening's outside of the foot pass was faintly flicked on by Josh Greening to Tom Corner who cleverly let it run across his body to give him that yard to get a shot off. The forward took aim, picked his spot and struck hard but Pete Lawrie got down to his left superbly to palm wide and astonishingly Conor Sellars' follow-up which was looking to be the moment to get Tad back into the match was terrifically hooked off the goal line by Joe Danby.

Jason Mycoe was looking indispensable for Taddy once again, week in week out or day in day pretty much now, the midfield maestro’s work-rate is truly tremendous. From breaking up play with big tackles in the centre to offering support at the back to setting off and getting involved in attacks, all round key to everything The Brewers do.

I think the phrase is ‘backs to the wall job’ and this was certainly the case at Mill Lane as Pickering's tremendous first half had taken it out of them, could Tad find the extra gear from deep within after playing Thursday and Saturday?

With that being said the watching on home fans were still hopeful of catching their rivals out on the break. They came close to doing just that as Gary Stevens was called to push over Ged Dalton's tricky bending effort.

The travelling Taddy fans behind the goal were singing their hearts out and you just got the feeling that if one goal could be found, more may follow.

Set-pieces were undoubtedly Taddy's biggest threat as first Tom Corner rose highest and thundered a header wide and second, Josh Greening's in-swinging corner was unconvincingly palmed up into the danger area by Lawrie, Anderson flicked goalwards & Conor Sellars did his absolute utmost to get it over the line but his jump just wasn't enough as Pickering's resurgent defence held on for the time being.

As the ball bounced around the penalty area there were massive appeals for handball as Joe Danby took a swing at the ball with his left-arm out stretched, difficult to tell but referee Darren Whatling wasn't convinced.

With twenty minutes of the second half gone Taddy were prodding, probing and testing Pickering's tremendously hard working back-line as tired legs began to creep in. Josh Greening played a reverse through ball to Captain Jimmy Beadle whose low blistering drive from a tight angle was never troubling Lawrie.

It was time for a change for Billy Miller and Matt Heath as they threw Adam Baker on first to see if he could break down the stingy Pikes.

Gary Stevens was alert to the danger as Joe Danby's free-kick was punched clear by the stopper.

Time was running out for Taddy as Miller brought on fresh legs in Josh Barrett and Carl Stewart in his last throw of the dice. A change in formation was also made with Jono Greening moving back into a more familiar central midfield role and Jimmy Beadle joining Josh Greening and Carl Stewart up top in a front three.

But little did we all now, the match was only just getting started.

Set-pieces were mentioned earlier and they were indeed the key which unlocked the Pikes’ door. Josh Greening's corner in the 87th minute was met by defender Andy Milne heading past Pete Lawrie but was actually hooked clear. However, the header looked to be way over the line and as half celebrations and half protests started, the referee looked over to his official who flagged for a goal to send the away end wild.

Tad were not settling for a point though, oh no, they wanted all three and you could feel the momentum press firmly against the home side as the TSC roared their side on (with a little help from the famous boom box).

The fans were singing, the bench were encouraging, the boom box was blasting out 'Tad All Over' it was an incredible atmoshpere to say the least but the best was yet to come.

With one minute left of normal time Taddy had done the extraordinary, they had done the unthinkable, they conjured up a second goal to dramatically take the lead in the dying embers.

It was another perfect corner kick from Josh Greening from the far side and Jimmy Beadle had drifted off his man towards the front post. As the curling cross came in Captain fantastic found that extra inch of spring in his jump to delicately flick past the hapless Lawrie and into the back of the net to send the travelling Taddy fans into absolute pandemonium. The players were in with the fans, the bench were on the pitch, the scenes were extraordinary and the sensational comeback was complete.

The Brewers finally wore down a supremely hard working Pickering side who had worked their socks off all night.

As they say, it only takes a second to score a goal, and it only takes two minutes to score two goals in this instance.

Just to add insult to injury and sprinkle that bit of icing on what was a terrific cake, Taddy netted a third in stoppage time. Josh Greening's hook over the top and in behind saw the fresh Carl Stewart be just too quick for the leggy Tilsley as Stewart ran clean through one v one against Lawrie but unselfishly chose to roll the ball across goal for Adam Baker to smash home a third. Delirium.

An absolutely incredible end to the match, it really was sensational stuff. With Pickering defending heroically for 87 minutes you think all the world that they will see the final minutes out. To get one goal back is outstanding in itself but to get two and three shows true grit, determination and character.

Following that remarkable late late comeback, The Brewers now move back to the top of the league with a game in hand, not long to recover though as we travel to Maltby Main on Wednesday night, another tough game.

Team: Stevens, Armstrong (Barrett 83), Clayton, Milne, Anderson, Mycoe, Sellars (Stewart 83), Beadle (c), Corner (Baker 64), Josh Greening, Jono Greening
Unused: Heath & Conway