TITLE-chasing Tadcaster Albion have brought in French midfielder Sébastien Carole to bolster the squad for their Northern Counties East League premier division run-in.

The club also announced yesterday they had signed former Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday striker Richard Cresswell for the remainder of the campaign.

The forward was most recently caretaker boss at York City following Russ Wilcox’s departure.

Carole, 33, started his career in France with AS Monaco and has spent time on loan at West Ham United.

His name will ring a bell for Leeds United fans after joining the Yorkshire side in 2006 where he scored three times in 41 appearances.

Carole also has experience lower down the football pyramid after spells at Guiseley, Knaresborough and Bradford Park Avenue – and has turned out for Harrogate Sunday League side Burton Leonard Squirrel.

The winger joins Tadcaster to help strengthen the squad for a hectic end to the season with the club looking to achieve promotion.

Brewers boss Billy Miller explained why he has brought Carole in: "We need to have a big squad to cope with the amount of games we have in such a short space of time, and his quality and experience at the highest level will be invaluable."

"Having been with him at Leeds, Matt Heath (assistant manager) contacted him and he was more than happy to help as well, as being honoured to try and get us over the line."

Fixture congestion is something the Brewers will have to deal with, but the addition of Carole will allow rotations to be made.

Albion play nine games in the space of three weeks, starting tomorrow when leaders Handsworth Parramore are the visitors to the i2i Stadium. The second-placed hosts will be aiming to close the two-point gap on the table-toppers.

Josh Greening and Adam Baker were the goalscoring heroes when Albion comfortably eased past Handsworth 4-1 in Sheffield in August, but a lot has changed for both clubs since then.

Next Tuesday, Armthorpe will provide the opposition for Tadcaster.

Pickering Town are aiming to cling onto their sixth place in the premier division when they travel to second-bottom Liversedge tomorrow.

The Pikes have hit a bump in their previously smooth course – their ten-match unbeaten run has been followed by two defeats, 2-1 against Bridlington last Saturday and at Worksop Town by the same score.

Liversedge have been on a good run of form, with games to make up after issues with their Clayborn ground saw a series of postponements.

Pikes manager Paul Marshall said: "Liversedge are on fire at the minute. They have been unlucky missing so many games because of their pitch and we wish them well."

The Pickering squad for the trip will be without three players who have made strong contributions to their success this season, all of whom are suspended. Callum Ward is serving a four-match ban, Lewis Taylor has started a two-match suspension and Matty Turnbull's punishment starts tomorrow.

Marshall added: "Disciplinary matters are an issue for us as they have been throughout this season. It is some thing we are working on together as a squad."

The much anticipated derby with neighbours Tadcaster Albion was postponed earlier this week and has been rearranged for Monday, April 18.