There was very little between the two sides in the opening fifteen minutes. The first chance of the afternoon fell the way of the hosts in the 19th minute when Dale Pearson fired over from inside the box after Carl Finnigan knocked the ball down.

Ten minutes later Josh Mazfari was called into action; initially the keeper denied Michael Pearson parrying his low shot to his right before the Tad number one sprung to his right to deny Finnigan with his finger tips diverting the close-range effort wide.

Tadcaster forced a couple of half chances of their own. In the 32nd minute captain Dan Hartley got on the end of a Theo Hudson free kick, the defender just stretching to head a flicked attempt wide.

A minute later Omar Sanyang who had already threatened to break in behind the Dunston defence, managed to get a toe to a through ball before the keeper, the ricochet and subsequent bobble however favoured the hosts as the ball ran dead.

In the 36th minute Dunston broke the deadlock, Michael Pearson capitalised on a loose ball in the Tad penalty area sliding home, 1-0.

The hosts went in search of a second in the 39th minute but were met by another impressive Mazfari save, the Huddersfield loanee showing impressive reactions to save Jon Shaw’s close-range strike.

The final chance of the first half went the way of the Brewers; Adam Porritt struck a well-hit free kick narrowly over the bar with the keeper scrambling.

Tadcaster came out brightly in the second half. Porritt hit a half volley over from the edge of the box with the visitors looking to make an impression on proceedings.

Monkhouse’s side came again in the 54th minute. Des Amponsah won the ball high up the pitch and carried the attack forward before finding Sanyang who teed up Luke Sharry but he fired a deflected shot wide of the target.

From the resulting corner Tad drew level. Hudson delivered an inch-perfect cross which found Ferreira at the back post who volleyed in from inside the six-yard box, 1-1.

Despite having the better of the second half and finding an equaliser it would be Dunston who then led the charge.

On the hour mark Jack Camarda shot into the side netting after the hosts shifted the ball across the face of the Tadcaster goal for the left-back’s effort.

In the 69th minute Dunston restored their lead; Finnigan headed in at the back post from a deep cross by substitute Jack Elliott, 2-1.

Finnigan doubled his tally and extended the Dunston advantage in the 72nd minute; an almost identical header to his previous goal following another substitute, Sado Djalo, heading the ball back across goal, 3-1.

Tadcaster almost pulled a goal back in the 77th minute, a role reversal from their goal as Ferreira drilled a cross-shot toward the far post, Hudson on the slide got under the effort and lifted the shot over the bar.

Dunston wrapped up the victory in the 87th minute, Tad cleared a corner to the edge of the box, only as far as Djalo who powerfully drilled a shot into the bottom corner, 4-1.

The curtain closes on the 2022/23 season with a final outing at the So-Trak Stadium next Saturday as the Brewers welcome Pontefract Collieries for a Yorkshire derby to see the season out, kick off 3pm.

Mazfari, Dyer (Bratkowski), Beaston, Hartley ©, Wadworth, Sharry, Porritt, Sanyang, Hudson, Amponsah, Ferreira. Subs not used: Love, Johnson.

Report from Olly Wood - Photos courtesy of John Clothier and Keith Handley