Albion Sports 0 Tadcaster Albion 2

TADCASTER Albion showed courage and professionalism to see off Albion Sports and reduce the gap on Toolstation Northern Counties East Premier Division leaders Handsworth Parramore, who didn't play, to just two points.

Assist king Josh Greening set up both goals with perfect free-kicks, which were headed home by defender Andy Milne and Tom Corner – his first goal for the club.

Billy Miller made three changes to the side that played out a goalless draw with Cleethorpes Town last week, Josh Barrett coming in at right back for the injured Jordan Armstrong and Conor Sellars replacing Liam Ormsby (ill), while Adam Baker was preferred to Nick Black.

Farsley Celtic's pitch took a hammering on Saturday morning following persistent rain, and the surface was extremely bobbly, while both goalmouths were incredibly boggy.

In the third minute. Sellars’ cross from the left was cleared to Jason Mycoe, whose 25-yard strike bobbled in the goalmouth, keeper Kyle Trennary palming it for a corner.

The Brewers took the lead in the 19th minute. Josh Greening’s floated free-kick from the right-hand touchline was flicked into the far corner by Milne, going out of Trennary’s reach via a deflection from Temar Khan.

The home side passed the ball neatly, attacks going through prolific striker Marcus Edwards, and they could have equalised immediately.

Aran Basi’s lofted free-kick was headed down at the back post to Matt Mathers, whose flicked effort was sharply grasped by Gary Stevens.

But although Albion were generally struggling to test Stevens, they thought they had levelled shortly after the half- hour as Edwards tapped in a parried Stevens save but was adjudged offside.

With nine minutes until half-time, The Brewers doubled their lead from another free-kick by the talented Josh Greening.

His free-kick, curled in from the opposite side this time, was headed into the top corner by Corner from 12 yards after the latter did brilliantly to slow his run.

Taddy, looking more and more dangerous, should have been three goals to the good by the break.

Baker picked the ball up halfway in Sports’ half and it suddenly opened up for him as he glided past at least five yellow shirts into the penalty area, where his goalbound strike was superbly blocked by Khan.

The best chance, however, was probably the rebound, Corner side-footing over from 13 yards.

Towering midfielder Basi, constantly battling with Jimmy Beadle, Corner and co, narrowly curled a shot wide on the stroke of half-time.

On an afternoon of niggly fouls, which were not helped by the pitch, Lewis Morgan was lucky to stay on the field at the start of the second half after a 50-50 challenge with Mycoe in which the Albion player clearly had both feet off the ground.

Meanwhile, in defence, Barrett didn't put a foot wrong, and centre backs Gregg Anderson and Milne again showed their class and experience.

The hosts had the vast majority of the ball in the second half, however, and were always going to create opportunities, and they did in the 57th minute as Alex Cusack’s free-kick was cleared out to young midfielder Joe Barden, whose ferocious volley from inside the penalty area just flew over.

With 15 minutes to go, Stevens saved well from Morgan, and, determined to keep a clean sheet, he easily tipped over Mohamed Kaba’s rasping drive from the left and then held Edwards’ long-range free-kick.

Tadcaster: Stevens, Barrett, Clayton, Milne, Anderson, Mycoe, Baker (Black 74), Beadle, Corner (Stewart 62), Josh Greening, Sellars (Conway 83). Unused substitute: Heath. Attendance: 125.