ADAM BAKER scored his first goal for Tadcaster Albion since returning to the club last month – with a 90th-minute strike in a 1-0 win at Glossop North End in the Evo-Stik League north division.

Glossop debutant Mike Connor was dismissed inside the opening quarter of an hour before fan-favourite Baker’s late back-post tap-in sealed the Brewers’ third consecutive win and their first ever at Surrey Street.

Victory was thoroughly deserved for the visitors, having brought the game to their higher-placed hosts with wave after wave of attack, although both sides will concede that the sending-off changed the game as a contest.

Tadcaster Albion sit in ninth position in the division following the result, now only three points behind sixth-placed Glossop.

The only change from the team that beat Clitheroe was the return of Michael Ingham in goal, having returned from Houston on Thursday.

Albion started the game strongly, and could have taken the lead with only minutes on the clock when Aiden Savory was put clean through on goal, but couldn’t beat keeper Paul Phillips.

Conor Sellars was next to test Phillips with a free kick as the Brewers looked to make an early impact, before hesitation at the back allowed Tom Corner to round the keeper from his namesake set-piece, but he could only prod over the bar.

The defining moment of the game came in the 12th minute as Glossop were awarded a free kick. Savory touched the ball on and was caught by Connor, who was intending to clear, and was shown a straight red.

As a result, Josh Barrett, Corey Roper and Jason Mycoe had a lot more time and space in the middle of the park as Glossop tried to maintain a compact shape.

Having lost to 10-man Ossett Town in October, Taddy remained cautious despite their dominance now being made numerical as well as statistical, but they continued to ask questions of the hosts’ back line.

Josh Greening received Lawrance Hunter’s cross at the near post, but could only direct his glancing effort just wide of the mark, while Roper’s low drive had Phillips beaten, but missed the post by inches, and Corner’s strike was caught and held well by the goalkeeper.

An interesting chance came about before half-time as a Phillips clearance cannoned into a defender and allowed Cam Murray to pounce, but he did not get enough on his flick to direct it goalwards and ensured the sides went into the break level.

Albion maintained their dominance in the second half in a game that had resembled a training-ground exercise following Connor’s dismissal.

Savory digging out a cross over the keeper, but there was no one to tap in, as midfielders Murray and Roper continued to try to break down the hosts’ stubborn defence, marshalled by towering defender Courtney Meppen-Walker.

The Hillmen centre-half, however, almost turned Savory’s header back across goal into his own net, before Barrett headed narrowly wide and another Sellars free kick, this time, struck an upright.

Ingham had little to do at the other end of the pitch, as any rare home counter-attack was quickly extinguished by the speedy Barrett.

On one occasion, he was called on to poke the ball away from pacey Glossop forward Jude Oyibo.

Callum Chippendale’s curling free kick towards a top corner was read well, and the Northern Irish shot-stopper caught it comfortably.

With two minutes remaining, Glossop substitute Ben Deegan went to ground in the area – but was booked for simulation.

The Brewers once again went close as Greening’s clever flick from Hunter’s superb curled cross was tipped over by Phillips.

Sellars took the resultant corner that somehow found its way to the back post, where Baker was on hand to poke in and spark pandemonium among the costumed travelling Albion fans.