Warm but overcast, the Young Guns Arena was blessed with pleasant conditions for the afternoon game against Thackley. After a brutal draw against Barton Town on Tuesday night, top-of-the-league Tadcaster were hoping for a win against Thackley, who sat in ninth position as the game started.

Again, the opening half of the match took a little while to get going, with the first serious attempt from the Brewers falling to the midfielder Andrew Shepherd, who, after weaving through a stack of Thackley defenders, crossed the ball into the goal vicinity. However, with no player in the correct space to knock it in, the ball ended up going wide.

With the home team finding their footing mid-way through the first half, it began to look as if a goal would be imminent. A chance from Spencer Harris in the 33rd minute and a stunning hit off of the crossbar from Mason Wilson with four minutes remaining kept the ball fairly far away from the Tadcaster end of the pitch for the majority of the first half.

As the half time whistle blew fans were hoping that the goal that had been just out of reach so far would go flying in during the second half. A substitution at half time for Tadcaster saw Harris leaving the pitch and Charlie Marshall coming on.

Just a minute in, and a tremendous assist from Oliver Norman saw centre forward Oliver Green score an impressive and well-deserved goal on the volley, something all the home audience had eagerly been awaiting. 1 – 0.

Tadcaster made a second substitution 51 minutes into play, replacing Desmond Okoro with Charlie Thompson. Despite a booking for Norman just a minute later, the game continued with both teams looking fairly neck-and-neck - Thackley’s first big chance from Hass Gorji on fifty-six minutes was fortuitously squandered.

The next changes of players for the home team came in the 61st and 68th minute, with striker Oliver Norman making way for defender Charlie Owen first, and Andrew Shepherd being replaced by Matthew Mulhearn second.

As the second half progressed, the opposition came into their own, with a near miss from substitute Tabbish Hussain in the 73rd minute, putting pressure on the Brewers. On seventy-three minutes Thackley then scored an equaliser with another sub, Tom Whelan, making a close-range header from a corner.1 – 1.

However, with just under 20 minutes to go all was still to play for. Tadcaster kept the away team on their toes with back to back chances – an impressive save from the keeper kept out a second Green goal in the 79th minute on the end of a Thompson cross, and a great shot from Mason Wilson which was launched just wide of the goal showed Albion’s refusal to give in.

Yet it wouldn’t be enough for this match. A final substitution saw Jack Dolman replaced by new signing, Joe Billet, and a close but fruitless chance for Green would be the home team’s last big move in the game. The closing minutes of the game saw the ball staying dangerously close to the Tadcaster end of the pitch, but solid defending kept it out of the net.

The match ended with a 1-1 draw which leaves the Brewers still top of the league but just two points clear of Barton Town and three points in front of Liversedge who are up to third. Both chasing teams have a game in hand.

Next week Tadcaster take on 15th in the league Bottesford Town who succumbed to a 4 – 1 defeat at home to Albion Sports on the weekend - their third defeat out of four home games. Kick Off is 3.00 pm.

Tony Howarth Golf Man of the Match - Callum Hudson

Players: Hughes, Pilkington, Dolman (Billet), Shepherd © (Mulhearn), Heaton, Hudson, Green, Harris (Marshall), Okoro (Thompson), M. Wilson, Norman (Owen)

Report from Annie Roberts – Photos Courtesy of John Clothier