TADCASTER Albion were involved in the only NCEL premier division match to go ahead on Saturday but found themselves on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline at Bottesford Town.

Their hosts’ all-weather pitch proved the saving grace for the tie, for which the Brewers were without the in-form Keiran Greenway and Olly Norman. 

Joe Dixon instead led the attack with Joe Crosby out on the right of the front line.
Tadcaster mounted their first attack from the kick-off, with Joe Crosby’s shot turned for a corner, but Dan Thirkell could not repeat his midweek heroics from the set-piece and instead saw his effort fall narrowly wide of the far post.

Junayd Cassius-Gill was next to try his luck from inside the box with 10 minutes played, but his shot was cleared off the line.

That paved the way for Bottesford to come into the game, striker Reece Moody chipping over the bar before Joe Wilton impressively plucked a high cross from the air after the hosts had won a corner.

Tadcaster regained the impetus as McDaid launched a thunderbolt from 30 yards that was well taken by home goalkeeper Declyn Dennis, whilst Sam Kay miscued a real chance on 24 minutes following good play between Dixon and Cassius-Gill. 

On the half hour, Collins’ immense throw found McDaid in the box but his shot was well watched by Dennis, before Dixon picked a yellow card for blocking a goal kick.

He almost made amends as he charged down the right flank, but he could only fire wide.

The Brewers were perhaps unlucky not to have led at the interval after a teasing cross into the box somehow evaded everyone in yellow six yards out, though a goalless start was probably a fair result

Bottesford looked rejuvenated as the game resumed, leaving Tadcaster very much on the back foot and under pressure. 

They should have taken the lead almost straightaway but as Jack Griffin teed up the close-range shot, McDaid robbed him of the ball.

Such pressure suggested that a goal would soon be forthcoming and it duly arrived on 52 minutes when Kitchen caught Moody’s heel just inside the box.

Griffin stepped up to take the spot-kick, smashing the penalty past a helpless Wilton to give his side the lead.

And Tadcaster were fortunate not to have fallen two goals behind from the restart, but this time it was Bottesford who had nobody waiting as the ball crossed the goal mouth.

Fatlum Ibrahimi was sin-binned three minutes later for dissent, whilst on the hour mark, Crosby had a chance but with two defenders on him, the shot was blocked by Griffin.

The goal that their hosts had been threatening finally came with just over an hour played after a rapid break down the left flank.

Though Wilton was able to get a hand on the stinging low shot in his direction, the onrushing Fraiwald could not miss the open goal from close range.

That prompted the Brewers into a treble substitution as  Luke Stewart, Josh Brodella and Josh Hardcastle were introduced to the action, and coupled with the return of Ibrahimi from the sin-bin, they began to take the game back to their hosts.

Stewart had a penalty appeal turned down with 15 minutes remaining before McDaid came agonisingly close to forcing the ball over the line from a 50-50 challenge.

The Brewers kept up the pressure and were just rewarded in the penultimate of six minutes of added time  when Cody Collins opened his account with a far-post finish. 

After seeing tonight's League Cup clash with Silsden postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, Tadcaster will be hoping to return to action on home soil against Campion on Saturday (1pm).