TO sit second in the table having already played most of their title rivals away from home is a "phenomenal boost" for Tadcaster Albion, according to Billy Miller.

After their trip to Handsworth Parramore next week, the Brewers will have journeyed to the rest of the top six in the Northern Counties East League premier division.

They met two of their pursuers last week alone, forging an outstanding 2-1 win at Worksop Town only to slip to a narrow defeat at Cleethorpes Town on Saturday. In a game of few chances, Marc Cooper popped up with a long-range effort in the final minutes to condemn Albion to a rare reverse.

Miller stated: “We’re not getting too excited about the result down at Cleethorpes.

“Cleethorpes had a plan to make it difficult for us and we couldn’t break them down.

“In contrast, Worksop are like us, they are an open team who play a risk-reward game. We exploited the space they gave us, in what was definitely our best performance this season.”

Tadcaster host Albion Sports tomorrow (3pm) and will have to contend without centre-half Andy Milne, who is absent for six weeks with work commitments in the USA.

Miller is considering his options, with influential midfielder Jason Mycoe likely to drop back into defence.

The leaders will be bolstered, however, by the return of Josh Barrett and Dan Clayton, while long-term absentee Nick Thompson was being assessed in training this week.

The Ings Lane chief remains philosophical about the "journey" his team are embarking on.

“You can’t manufacture wins in football. It’s a game played by real people who make real mistakes," he said.

“This is a journey, with highs like Worksop and lows like Cleethorpes. We’re done and dusted with games against the teams around us and we’ve picked up points against them.

“To come through those games and to still be around the top of the league is a phenomenal boost for us.”

Elsewhere in the premier division, mid-table Pickering Town were desperately unlucky to suffer a 3-2 defeat to Worksop Town last weekend.

Matty Turnbull pulled the Pikes level with ten minutes to play at 2-2. Midfielder James Bennett went on to strike the upright yet, in the final throes, the visitors saw a free-kick deflect in off a post to steal a late victory.

Pikes boss Paul Marshall, who is looking to foster a "winning mentality" previously absent at the Recreation Ground, takes his team to tenth-placed Bridlington Town tomorrow.

NCEL division one side Selby Town are in FA Vase first round action, hosting Hallam.

Their struggles in the league were allayed somewhat on Saturday, when they won 2-0 at Worsbrough Borough. Striker Chris Jackson justified his inclusion from the start with a match-winning brace.

Robins manager Dave Ricardo believed his side could have won more convincingly. “Worsbrough were extremely poor on the day - it could have been six or seven in the end. Our finishing let us down in that respect," he said.

“We know the run of games we’ve got in November so the Hallam game is a chance to go into the month with a spring in our step.”

Ricardo will adapt his tactics for Hallam, who would have met Selby in the league were it not postponed for this cup tie.

“I’ve got a game-plan to nullify them which is slightly different to how we normally play.” he revealed. “We haven’t got past the first round in goodness knows how long, so it is a chance to set the record straight.”

High-flying Harrogate Town host lowly Worcester City in Conference North, while struggling Harrogate Railway go to Clitheroe in Evo-Stik League division one north as Scarborough Athletic have a similarly tough trip to second-placed Glossop North End.