Crucial Corner Turned After Win Over Garforth

Tadcaster Albion took a big step towards promotion after a dominant 1-0 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 but in truth, it could have been a whole lot more.

Taddy boss Billy Miller made two changes to the side that were beaten by Maltby Main on Wednesday night with Tom Corner and Conor Sellars coming back into the side in place of Carl Stewart and Gregg Anderson.

Thankfully the pre-match rain soon moved on as the spring sunshine shone down on what is the biggest week in the club’s history, it’s being labelled as the Week of Destiny.

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 Tom 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 Tom 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 Conor Sellars’ volleyed trickled just the wrong side of the post.

The watching on Taddy brigade were in fine voice outside the clubhouse with a vast array of chants including the usual ‘Tad All Over’ and ‘All Tad Aren’t We’ as well as some newcomers for example ‘Woaaaah woaaaah woaaah, we all love Jason Mycoe’ and ‘Beadleeeeee’s on fireeeee your defence is terrified!’

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 Tom Corner controlled and unusually flicked a looping effort off his shin which slowly flew over the hapless Luke McCrum and Smith.

The lead was almost doubled immediately as Tad nearly netted a misery compiler but Jimmy Beadle’s header dipped just over the crossbar from Conor 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 Jimmy Beadle with a clever lob over the defence but Beadle just couldn’t bring down under control.

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

There was some surprising half-time entertainment at the i2i stadium as a pigeon simply sat on the hallowed turf and did not want to be moved. Several Taddy volunteers then took to the pitch to try and shoo the bird away but he was more than happy where he was. I would have loved to have seen his heat map. The volunteers, armed with coats and jackets eventually managed to shoo the pigeon over the goal, only to see it fly straight back and retake his position for the second half.

That’s enough of pigeon gate, the second half simply carried on where it left off as Garforth sat back and invited The Brewers onto them.

Credit where credits due however, Garforth were defending very well when called up. When Taddy did get into dangerous positions there was always a blue shirt launching himself at the shot. This was the case early in the second half Conor Sellars danced towards the edge of the area, shifted it to Corner whose ferocious effort was outstandingly blocked.

By this point Taddy should have been well and truly been out of sight but they weren’t as another chance went begging. It was Conor Sellars the creator, the Miners could not live with his raw pace in one v one positions and his cross was right on the money but Josh Greening’s free header whistled wide.

If the visitors were going to get back into the game it was definitely going to be striker and top scorer Curtly 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.

This was Taddy’s fifth game in eight days which for semi-professionals is incredible as these players also have to work day in day out. Having said that, there was no fatigue showing from the Tadcaster players including Jono Greening who was bossing the midfield alongside Jimmy Beadle.

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.

Due to Gregg Anderson’s absence, Jason Mycoe had to drop back into central defence and despite not being tall, or even slightly tall (sorry Jase) he slotted back in next to Andy Milne and he didn’t put a foot wrong. From putting in crucial last ditch tackles to being positional sound to head away, Mycoe is a vital cog in this Taddy side.

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 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.

Taddy ran down the final few minutes and in the end one goal was enough to see Tadcaster Albion return to the top of the NCEL Premier Division.

Full-Time: Tadcaster Albion 1-0 Garforth Town

After the final whistle, the home fans were overjoyed to hear that title rivals Handsworth Parramore had lost 2-0 at Brigg Town putting Taddy one point clear with a game in hand.

Team: Stevens, Barrett, Clayton, Milne, Mycoe, Jono Greening, Baker (Black 65), Beadle, Corner (Stewart 65), Josh Greening, Sellars

Subs Unused: Armstrong, Murphy (GK), Conway