GEORGE CONWAY hit a hat-trick but his Tadcaster Albion side were haunted by an Albion Sports fightback in an eight-goal Halloween thriller in the Northern Counties East League.

Premier division high-fliers Taddy led 1-0, 2-1 and 4-2 but Sports would not go away and made it 4-4 five minutes from time.

Conway had come into the team for Andy Milne, who is away with work commitments for the next six weeks, while keeper Leon Wrigglesworth replaced the ill Gary Stevens in one other change in personnel to the side that lost at Cleethorpes.

Marcus Edwards headed over for the visitors and Dan Clayton fired off target before Conway gave The Brewers the lead on 20 minutes.

Adam Baker stormed down the left and fed Josh Greening in the inside-right. Greening beat his man and pulled the ball back to Conway, who guided it into the bottom left corner.

The visitors nearly levelled as Sam Bradley's looping header bounced onto the bar and into Wrigglesworth's hands.

They had a great spell before half-time, too, with Alex Cusack seeing a shot well held, Matty Dalton causing problems on the right, and Matthew Mathers going close from Aran Basi's dinked diagonal cross - and they did level on the resumption.

Dalton threaded the ball to Edwards and, as calls for offside were waved away, his shot had just enough venom to beat Wrigglesworth.

Three goals followed in a crazy ten-minute spell.

The Brewers immediately snatched the lead back. Conway bent a through ball in behind the defence for Nick Black to race after down the left. Sports keeper Jack Bentley started to sprint out but then chose to retreat, and Black, with a clear run, carried the ball inside and rolled it across for Greening to finish.

Sports levelled as Dalton spun in the box and was brought down by Matt Heath. Edwards' penalty squirmed in under Wrigglesworth.

Then Liam Ormsby arrowed a through ball down the inside right to Greening, who rode a couple of challenges and shifted the ball sideways to Conway, who made it 3-2.

Taddy netted their fourth on 72 minutes. Nick Black and Adam Baker combined well from a throw-in for Baker to brilliantly flick the ball around James Firth and fire low to Conway, who slid in to complete his hat-trick.

However, the pendulum swung back Sports' way with 13 minutes left. Cusack got in behind the defence and delicately flicked past Wrigglesworth.

They almost equalised when a corner was flicked onto a post by substitute Anil Singh, skipper Jamies Firth's follow-up being bravely thwarted by Wrigglesworth.

But they did level as another substitute, Brice Tiani, spread the ball left where Alex Cusack had acres of space, rounded the keeper and smashed home.

The Brewers had one final half-chance but Baker's effort was deflected just wide.

Sam Calvert's strike three minutes before half-time was enough to give Pickering Town the derby spoils in their trip to Bridlington Town.

The 1-0 win kept Paul Marshall's men 13th in the table.

In Conference North, ten-man Harrogate Town held on to beat Worcester City 1-0 thanks to another cracking Brendon Daniels goal - plus a first-half penalty save by man of the match Peter Crook.

The keeper had already made an amazing save to deny Shaud Harrad before Andy McWilliams brought down Sam Miniham, Crook pulling off a stunner to stop Sean Geddes' spot kick.

At the other end, Lloyd Kerry and Luke Shiels had been denied by Worcester keeper Ethan Ross

Daniels scored his 14th goal of term two minutes into the second half, firing into the top corner from 30 yards.

But McWilliams was sent off for a second yellow card leaving Town to defend their slender lead for nearly 30 minutes.

They could have added a second as Dominic Knowles twice went close while Jack Emmett, on for Daniels, just missed the target.

He nearly scored again just minutes later as the speedy winger ran through the Worcester defence, before a challenge by the Worcester skipper ended the run, but earned the Worcester player a yellow.

Harrogate play again tonight, at Brighouse Town in the West Riding County Cup (7.45pm).

In the Evo-Stik League division one north, Harrogate Railway lost 3-0 at fifth-placed Clitheroe, Scott Bakkor and Sefton Gonzales(2) the scorers, while Scarborough earned a good point from a goalless draw at leaders Glossop North End.