A QUICK stint at the top of the league has left Tadcaster Albion boss Paul Marshall wanting more of the same.

The Brewers held off a late fight-back from hosts Thackley in midweek to win 3-2 and capture the summit of the Northern Counties East League premier division, if only for 24 hours before Worksop replaced them on goal difference.

Heanor Town are also level on points, with Shaw Lane and Handsworth Parramore only a point behind, but Marshall's plan is to ensure his side strengthen their position.

Said Marshall: "It is early in the season, but it's good to be at the top so quickly.

"The job now is to stay there and, if we can, open up a lead of say, five or six points, as quickly as possible.

"Luckily for us we don't play any of the bigger teams like Worksop or Heanor for a while now, so it would be great that when we do get to meet them we have some sort of points advantage in hand."

The first task greeting Albion as premier division joint pace-setters is posed by Liversedge tomorrow, who could be the latest side to feel the striking threat of Marshall's free-scoring unit.

The division's top scorer Josh Greening was again on the mark in midweek, where his 15th goal of the season was sandwiched by cracking long-range efforts from Liam Ormsby and Terry Taylor.

Greening, who has since been joined in the side by his elder brother, Champions League winner Jonathan, was dealt some harsh physical treatment by Thackley - a prospect that the marksman could face more of in the next few weeks.

"Defenders see that he is in form and he is the league's top scorer, so they will target him," said Marshall.

"That's going to be the case so that could create openings for some of our other players. It was good at Thackley that midfielders Ormsby and Taylor weighed in with great goals."

Marshall was hopeful another midfield man, skipper Nick Thompson, would be fit to lead the team tomorrow after he missed the Thackley trip with a virus.

Pickering Town boss Mitch Cook could hardly have picked a more difficult contest for his side to lift themselves out of the mire.

Cook has warned his charges they face a long hard season fighting the threat of relegation unless they effect a turnaround in form soon after two 4-1 home defeats took their number of goals conceded to 33 in ten outings and left them 15th in the NCEL premier division. Cook also described last week's loss to lowly Barton Town Old Boys as their worst performance all term.

Tomorrow, though, they must go to high-flying Handsworth as they begin a run of four consecutive away games, including a trip to buoyant Tadcaster.

Asked if the Pikes already faced a relegation fight, Cook said: "If it (the poor run) continues, the answer is yes. If it changes, the answer is no.

"We know we've got to do something about it and change it."

He added: "The fixture list hasn't been kind and it's still not being kind. That's not an excuse. We've got to get on with it.

"We've got to improve. Everyone knows that - I know it, the players know it. We've got to do something."