Rollercoaster Start Proves Costly At Trafford

Manager Billy Miller was back in the dugout after a work trip to Vietnam and he made two changes to the side that lost to Ramsbottom United with Jono Greening and Carl Stewart coming back into the side.

And it was the aforementioned Stewart who proved his place in the side after just three minutes by giving Taddy the lead. Conor Sellars opted to take a free-kick quickly shifting it out to Jono Greening on the left-hand side.

The experienced Greening created the space for himself by chopping back onto his right-foot and hanging a cross up for an unmarked Carl Stewart and the striker couldn’t miss from four yards heading comfortably past Terry Smith.

After scoring an early goal, all of a sudden players relax ever so slightly which can prove to be incredibly costly. And this was the case at Pennybridge Lane as the home side levelled three minutes later.

Powerful forward Andy Keogh neatly turned and drove into the bottom corner in one swift movement meaning it was all level.

It was blink and you’ll miss it stuff in the opening ten minutes as Trafford took the lead in the ninth minute.

An unconvincing back-pass from Josh Barrett didn’t have enough on it to carry back to goalkeeper Chandler Hallwood who retreated and Trafford pounced squaring across goal to Ally Brown for an unmissable tap-in.

Three goals in the first ten minutes is pretty remarkable, a rollercoaster like start to the afternoon I think it’s fair to say. Get it, fair……

As expected, the frantic opening did then calm down considerably. However the Brewers did have the ball in the net for a second time ten minutes from the break but Carl Stewart was adjudged to have strayed half a yard offside before lobbing goalkeeper Smith.

Despite being pegged back early on, Taddy were looking assured and they almost levelled right on half-time. Jordan Armstrong’s lofted in free-kick dropped to Gregg Anderson who’s lob dropped narrowly over the mark.

At the break Billy Miller made a tactical change with 12 goal forward Josh Greening coming on for Rob Youhill. This change saw a switch of formation with Jono Greening moving central and brother Josh operating just behind Carl Stewart and Tom Corner.

The change had an immediate effect on Tadcaster who came out in the second half with a greater sense of purpose and urgency to their play with the home side penned in deep.

Josh Greening looked to be enjoying the CAM position and he almost drew Taddy level just three minutes after coming on.

A lovely deft touch from Tom Corner set Greening in behind but his flicked effort was a nice height for the goalkeeper who stopped the shot comfortably.

Albion continued to put their opponents under severe pressure who had their goalkeeper Terry Smith to thank in the 58th minute.

A lovely piece of fast-flowing interplay down the right between Josh Greening and Jordan Armstrong lead to the defender pulling back to Carl Stewart who struck a sweet strike from eight yards out but Smith palmed away.

The home side weren’t at all interested in going forward in the second half as the Brewers persistently piled on the pressure delivering cross after cross and corner after corner into the box but to no avail.

Jono Greening moving back into a central position made a difference as the former Manchester United midfielder must have had six if not seven times the amount of touches in the second forty five compared to the first.

And it was Greening’s precise pass over the top which set Carl Stewart in behind but the forward fluffed his effort after being charged down by Anthony Griffith.

Less than a minute later Stewart had to leave the field after taking a nasty bash to the nose. With blood gushing out the player needed length treatment from physio Lucy Lendhill resulting in Taddy having to play with ten men for all of five minutes.

Stewart eventually got the all clear to return after a quick change of shirts and Dan Thirkell was the next man to go close as he drove fiercely over the bar from all of 25 yards.

Nevertheless credit to Trafford who dug in deep, defended their lead and in the last minute of normal time they made sure of all three points by netting a third goal.

Chandler Hallwood made an unbelievable save at first to keep out Chris Palmer’s deflected volley but Ash Woods was Johnny-on-the--spot to divert into the back of the net.

Tough to take for Taddy after dominating the second half but the first ten minutes proved to be pivotal in the end.

Full-Time: Trafford 3-1 Tadcaster Albion

Trafford Team: Smith, Frost, Brownhill (Neville 78), Langford, Griffith, Granite ©, Brown (Williams 62), Palmer, Woods, Keogh, Lindfield

Unused: Horrocks, Daniels and Burns.

Tadcaster Team: Hallwood, Armstrong, Grant, Barrett, Anderson ©, Thirkell, Youhill (Josh Greening HT), Jono Greening, Corner, Stewart, Sellars (Ibrahimi 87)

Unused: Jeridi, Shepherd and Hansen.

Att: 286