Evo-Stik Division One North: Tadcaster Albion 2 Clitheroe 1

A BRACE from top scorer Tom Corner was enough to give Tadcaster Albion a league victory for the first time since late September.

Taddy manager Michael Morton kept faith with the same 11 that won at Barnoldswick in the County Cup and, after an impeccably observed minute's silence for Armistice Day, the Brewers kicked off on the front foot.

The first effort at goal, however, came from the visitors as Alex Newby's shot from the edge of the box took a wicked bounce, which fortunately struck Greg Hartley in the chest.

With half-time approaching, Brad Carroll superbly blocked a Josh Greening shot before West hit the ball over.

Despite it being not their best first half, Taddy broke the deadlock three minutes from the break.

Goalkeeper Chris Thompson failed to deal with a Greening corner, and Corner flicked in his tenth goal of the season with a bit of help from Stephen Rigby on the line.

However, it was close to being 1-1 at the interval, with Kurt Willoughby – the league's joint top scorer – whipping in a free-kick that was well saved by Hartley, who also clattered into a post.

The Lancashire visitors threatened in the opening ten minutes of the second half, but skipper Ian Rowlands' towering header was shovelled off the line by Chris Howarth.

Their best chance of the afternoon arose just two minutes later but this was down to a mix-up between Hartley and Josh Barrett.

Willoughby helped a ball in behind the Brewers' back-line and Hartley stormed off his line but Barrett can't have heard the shout and opted to head the ball, only to put it past his keeper to Leighton Egan.

Fortunately for Albion, Willoughby couldn't make contact with Egan's cross and Newby was denied by Roper and Hartley, who had recovered to get back into position.

Shortly after the hour, Taddy doubled their lead.

Aiden Savory's low cross ran perfectly for Corner on the penalty spot, and he hooked the ball slickly past keeper Chris Thompson into the bottom corner.

But just when the Brewers thought they were firmly in the driving seat, Clitheroe pulled one back.

A flick on from a free-kick was punched only as far as George West, who controlled the ball and poked it into the empty net.

The visitors missed a great chance to draw level two minutes later.

Willoughby received the ball in the area before shifting past Barrett, only to blast the ball over.

Rowlands again went close from a corner as his looping header was brilliantly held by Hartley, but Tadcaster should have restored their two-goal cushion with 20 minutes left.

Greening flicked a clever ball out to Savory in the left-hand channel, who fizzed a perfect ball down the corridor to Corner, who could only divert it over from just a couple of yards.

Greening almost made sure of the points 13 minutes from time with what would have been the goal of the season.

Greening acrobatically executed an incredibly difficult overhead kick from Corner's cross which Thompson just held.

There were a number of good performances from Tadcaster but Cam Murray and skipper-for the-day Jason Mycoe were two of the stand-outs.