Toolstation Northern Counties East League Premier Division: Tadcaster Albion 0 Cleethorpes Town 0

SECOND-placed Tadcaster Albion and third-placed Cleethorpes Town played out an uneventful goalless draw on a blustery afternoon at the i2i Stadium as The Brewers slipped four points behind leaders Handsworth Parramore with a game in hand.

Albion boss Billy Miller made two changes to the side that edged past Grimsby Borough in the League Cup, with Jordan Armstrong returning from injury and Tom Corner making his debut after signing from Scarborough Athletic.

It was the visitors who started the brighter, winning three early corners, but it was a flat start from both sides, although a long-range strike from the Owls' Alex Flett whistled wide of the mark.

Cleethorpes went one better and hit the target four minutes later as a raking diagonal ball to the left was struck first time on the volley by Jon Oglesby, who forced Gary Stevens to get down well.

It said a lot about the first 30 minutes that Jimmy Beadle’s wayward strike from 35 yards was the closest Taddy came.

The Owls’ Liam Higton is easily the shortest goalkeeper in the league, but he was never phased when The Brewers pumped in a couple of corners, punching well clear.

At the break, midfielder Liam Ormsby was taken ill and was replaced by Adam Baker.

In the second half, The Brewers raised the tempo – at least for the first five minutes as Higton did brilliantly once again to punch Greening’s corner clear from a heavily-crowded penalty box.

Marc Cooper was looking dangerous as ever up front for Cleethorpes, and almost haunted Tadcaster once again with a clever turn and shot, making Gary Stevens push clear.

It wasn’t a classic and never really looked like sparking into life.

However, Cleethorpes nearly took the lead nine minutes into the second half in bizarre circumstances.

Oglesby clipped a corner in from the left and Stevens must have taken his eye off the ball for a moment and dropped it behind him but Dan Clayton hooked clear off the line.

The match didn’t get any prettier in the second half as the wind picked up.

The away side were playing the better football as Cooper came close again, seeing his downward header pushed clear by Stevens.

Taddy’s chances were few and far between but their best arose in the 63rd minute.

Josh Greening’s superb delivery from deep in his own half was inches away from being met by Corner.

Having said that, it was one of those crosses which you see fly straight into the net on a weekly basis up and down the leagues, so Higton did well once again.

The best passage of play came nine minutes later, but The Brewers just lacked the finishing touch.

Clayton carried the ball down the left for a good 30 yards before shifting it to Josh Greening on the edge of the box, who tapped first time to Baker.

He only needed one touch to return it to Greening but the attacker’s scuffed effort bobbled agonisingly wide.

This was probably Taddy’s best spell of the afternoon as Corner’s clever touch and volley was promising but never tested the Cleethorpes No 1 in what was a drab encounter, a point apiece probably being a fair result.

Team: Stevens, Armstrong, Clayton, Milne, Anderson, Mycoe, Black (Sellars 68), Ormsby (Baker HT), Corner, Beadle (c), Josh Greening. Unused subs: Wrigglesworth, Barrett, Conway.