REPORT | Brewers Beaten By Boro On Boxing Day

Michael Coulson got the ball rolling for the home side but Albion squandered a gilt-edged opportunity to respond immediately through Aiden Savory.

Steve Kittrick’s side doubled their advantage nine minutes into the second half when Nathan Valentine was on-hand to tap in before James Walshaw saw his shot come cross deflect in off Andy Milne for number three.

Taddy bosses Michael Morton and Simon Collins will look back at the missed chances for Savory and Josh Greening at crucial points of the match but were largely disappointed following the defeat.

They made just a single change to last Saturday’s draw against Ramsbottom United as club captain Andy Milne returned in place of Jason Mycoe.

It was a brisk afternoon for a Boxing Day bonanza as the raucous Boro fans almost had reason to celebrate inside the first five minutes as James Cadman’s chipped effort was superbly kept out by the outstretched arm of Michael Ingham.

Taddy’s first opportunity to test Tommy Taylor in the Scarborough goal came a couple minutes later but Conor Sellars’ free-kick sailed harmlessly over.

It was tit-for-tat in the opening stages as Josh Greening slipped at the pivotal point as Corner glanced down in the box before Nathan Valentine’s header was well read by Ingham at the other end.

However the deadlock was broken on 17 minutes as Scarborough took the lead.

Sprightly wide-man Max Wright was causing Albion problems from the off and it was his positivity that led to the opening goal.

Wright drove inside and dug out a left-footed shot to which Ingham could only parry allowing former York City man Michael Coulson to follow up with the rebound.

Nevertheless it should have been all square again two minutes later as the Brewers threw away a glorious chance.

Conor Sellars curled a ball in behind setting Tom Corner away down the right-hand side who delivered onto a plate for Aiden Savory but the forward side-footed over the bar from seven yards.

A familiar tale of one team taking their chance and the other not.

As the first half ticked by, Josh Barrett kept Boro within touching distance as he blocked Coulson’s shot before picking himself up and clearing off the line with Dave Merris flying in for the rebound.

As darkness descended and the lights came on at the Flamingo Land Stadium, Taddy failed to take another good chance to equalise at the start of the second half.

Tall forward Tom Corner nodded down into the path of the advancing Josh Greening who helped over the keeper but also over the goal from nine yards.

Tadcaster were unsurprisingly punished moments later as the home side took control by netting a second goal.

Boro captain Dave Merris cut inside both Greening and Howarth before seeing his cross deflect kindly into the path of Nathan Valentine who couldn’t miss from two yards out.

It seemed to be one of them days after Savory’s miss as his cross for Tom Corner was a fraction too high for the number nine to guide on target.

With the match slipping away from Taddy, Michael Morton threw both Adam Baker and Joe Pugh on with half an hour to go to try and exploit the pace in behind Boro’s back-line.

The second half soon became a non-event though as Scarborough made absolute sure of the points with a third goal twenty minutes from time.

Talisman James Walshaw pinned and turned defender Chris Howarth before his low driven cross took a wicked deflection off Andy Milne leaving Ingham with no chance of stopping.

Full-Time: Scarborough Athletic 3-0 Tadcaster Albion

Scarborough: Taylor, Hewitt, Merris©, Valentine, Stimpson, Gooda, Cadman (Sugden 82), Dean, Walshaw (Beadle 78), Coulson, Wright (Curtis 85)

Subs Unused: Morgan, Johnson

Tadcaster: Ingham, Howarth, Hunter (Hardy 69), Roper, Milne, Barrett, Sellars, Davidson, Corner (Pugh 62), Savory (Baker 62), Greening

Subs Unused: Mycoe, Stewart

Attendance: 1,377