Evo-Stik Division One North: Tadcaster Albion 1 Lancaster City 2

IT WAS deja vu for Tadcaster Albion as they missed a number of chances in falling to defeat in a game that had an extraordinary end to the first half.

Tadcaster chief Billy Miller made two changes to the side that lost to Clitheroe as Adam Baker and Josh Barrett came back into the starting line-up.

Albion's Dan Thirkell had the first shot of the afternoon but the former Harrogate Railway man blazed it over the new main stand.

Taddy should have taken the lead inside half an hour as they carved Lancaster open.

It went from back to front in five touches as Leon Wrigglesworth's goal kick was flicked on by Carl Stewart and driven across the face of goal by Tom Corner but Adam Baker strangely went with his right foot and flicked wide of the mark from eight yards with the goal at his mercy.

Missed chances has been the theme for Miller's side in recent weeks and it was materialising once again as Stewart beat onrushing goalkeeper Mike Hale to the ball but couldn't slide it past him.

However, Taddy did take the lead in the 45th minute as Rob Youhill drove down the right and curled in a perfect cross for Tom Corner, who emphatically guided the ball past Hale.

But Lancaster equalised immediately when Craig Carney marauded past Josh Grant and Andy Milne before pulling the ball back to Ryan Winder, who made no mistake from close range.

Nevertheless, Taddy began the second half on top.

Corner rose like a salmon to flick the ball past Hale but Ricky Mercer hooked it off the line.

The chances were certainly flowing for the Brewers but another opportunity to retake the lead was passed up when Stewart's free-kick was unconvincingly parried by Hale, who recovered well to deny Baker a simple tap-in.

Against the run of play, Lancaster took the lead.

Jacob Gregory drove across the edge of the penalty area before rifling the ball into the bottom left-hand corner, giving Wrigglesworth no chance.

The goal certainly gave the Dolly Blues a new lease of life as Louis Mayers' header was cleared off the line by Barrett before Wrigglesworth made a superb double stop to deny Gregory a second.

Taddy continued to look dangerous going forward as time ticked by with Lancaster not looking overly comfortable at the back.

With 11 minutes to go, Brewers substitute Conor Sellars slid in Stewart, who clipped a cheeky effort over Hale which kissed the underside of the crossbar before running to safety.

The last big chance for Taddy came in the second minute of injury time as Sellars' terrific diagonal ball was chested beyond Adam Sumner by Stewart, who opted to shoot instead of rolling in Josh Greening but again, he couldn't find a way past Hale.

Tadcaster Albion: Wrigglesworth, Barrett, Grant (Shepherd 61), Milne, Anderson (captain), Mycoe, Youhill (Josh Greening 79), Thirkell, Corner, Stewart, Baker (Sellars 61). Unused substitutes: Ibrahimi, Armstrong.

Lancaster City: Hale, Henry, Sumner, Wills, Westwood, Mercer, Gregory, Akrigg, Mayers, Carney, Winder. Substitutes: Clark, Waters, Crolla, Frazer-Gray, Shearwood.

Attendance: 341.

Referee: Bradley Hall.