Tadcaster Albion 3-2 Pickering Town

A thoroughly entertaining rollercoaster of a game saw Tad start brightly. Eddie Church was immediately involved, pulling onto the left, linking up with Junayd Cassius-Gill, but ultimately seeing his effort clear the bar. Five minutes in Cassius-Gill had a strike cleared off the line - Church picked out the winger who beat his man and looked to have found the bottom corner but for a well-placed Pickering defender.

Having started the opening ten minutes very well and looking comfortable Tad we’re caught out by the visitors first foray forward, Alhassane Keita managed to create a chance but he skewed his effort wide.

On 13 minutes Albion took the lead courtesy of Church. Simon Russell delivered a dangerous ball in from a corner which Jack Crook headed goalward, the ball falling to Church who controlled and volleyed powerfully home for a deserved 1-0 lead.

The Brewers almost scored a second just two minutes later when Oli Norman dragged his left footed effort wide of the post following good work from Freddie Sass, Eddie Church and Donald Chimalilo.

Chimalilo was his usual busy and dangerous self on the wing, driving at the Pickering defence at any and every opportunity; the winger managed to beat his man after Norman picked him out, but his effort just bounced wide of the post.

22 minutes in Keita had another sight of goal for the visitors in a first half largely dominated by Tadcaster. The striker again couldn’t find the target, firing wide for the second time.

Sass struck the crossbar on 25 minutes; he and Russell worked a throw-in and the full back drilled a cross/shot off the face of the bar.

Taddy were keeping the pressure on the Pickering defence and could well have been further ahead, but they looked comfortable in the opening 25 minutes. Then came a sucker punch just before the half hour mark; a mix up at the back saw Keita nip in and loft the ball over Ally Hughes in the Tad goal to level the game. 1-1.

The visitors were buoyed by their goal and two minutes later almost turned the game on its head, this time Jackson Jowett hitting the post.

With ten minutes to go until the break Paul Quinn’s men took back control of the game and began to push to re-take the lead. Norman and Chimalilo were causing problems, the latter drove down the right and found Church in the box who just couldn’t wrap his foot around it.

With three minutes of the half remaining Cassius-Gill put Tad back in the lead, a quite fantastic piece of skill flicking the ball with his heel into the far corner from a Sass delivery. 2-1.

The hosts finished the half strongly with a flurry of chances, Cassius-Gill put in a lovely cross to the back post but Church just couldn’t reach to tap home. Cassius-Gill almost got his second, a brilliant header which was equally brilliantly kept out by Adam Kelsey in the Pickering goal. The final chance fell to the impressive Sass who just couldn’t quite get his leg over the ball and his effort went over.

The Pikes made the game that bit more physical as the second half got under way restricting the Brewers to fewer chances. In fact, the visitors created more openings early in the half, with Hughes foiling Deacey and Jowett managing to get free in the box but heading wide of the upright.

Just before the hour Paul Quinn made the first change of the game as Taddy looked to get a grip of what had become a very even encounter. Romario Vieira replaced Marco Basic.

Little after an hour played Chimalilo, who had taken a knock, was replaced by Des Amponsah who was quickly involved; Cassius-Gill played a brilliant ball to the substitute who slid Norman in who, having rounded the keeper, stumbled as he shot and the ball went agonisingly wide of the post.

With 15 minutes to go Pickering were reduced to ten men when Jordan Deacey was shown a second yellow card for a poor challenge in the middle of the pitch. Shortly after Jack Johnson went into the book for going through the back of Church.

79 minutes in Damien Giliga replaced Norman who had been a constant threat for the Pickering defence and left to the applause of the home crowd

The second half had been much more of a battle, an even half without too many clear-cut chances as both sides generally cancelled each other out but Cassius-Gill almost put the game to bed in the 85th minute, his curling effort well saved by the keeper.

With three minutes of normal time left Pickering levelled, Will Taylor powerfully heading into the corner from a free kick. 2-2. There was nothing Hughes, between the sticks for Tadcaster, could do to stop it.

In the 90th minute Pickering were reduced to nine men, Cassius-Gill was upended by a very dangerous challenge from Soni Fergus who was shown a straight red by the referee. It took both the physio and Simon Russell to help the striker from the field of play leaving Tad to see out the remainder with ten men.

The Brewers would have one final chance; Vieira whipped in a corner which Sass got his head to, driving the ball into the ground and the far corner to the full back’s delight as he celebrated passionately. 3-2.

A much-needed win for Tadcaster and on the balance, one they deserved. The first three points of the campaign. The Brewers are back in action a week on Tuesday as they host Worksop Town, kick off at 7:45pm.

Hughes, Omolokun, Wilkinson, Crook, Sass, Russell, Basic(Vieira), Norman(Giliga), Chimalilo (Amponsah), Cassius-Gill, Church.

Subs not used: Davison-Hale, Burton.

Report from Olly Wood, Photos Courtesy of Keith Handley