TADCASTER Albion's poor run of form continued at the weekend with a 3-0 defeat at table-toppers Ramsbottom United.

Still, the Brewers remain sixth in the Northern Premier League north/west division despite taking just two points from their last six games.

In December, Ramsbottom came back from two goals down to draw at Ings Lane, and Taddy were braced for one of their toughest games of the season as they travelled to Bury.

The Rams went close on eight minutes when Nic Evangelinos drove the ball across the six-yard box but Iyrwah Gooden slammed it into the side netting.

A poor back-pass to keeper Tom Stewart was screwed high into the sky resulting in Tadcaster’s first corner. Jake Rose put a perfect cross into the box but Jake Day nodded over the bar while a long ball from Michael Ingham put Kevin Santos away but Day got to the pass marginally later than Stewart. The penalty shout was dismissed.

On 19 minutes Santos bent a free kick around the wall but Stewart was ready and palmed it away. The hosts turned defence into attack as they broke back but the woodwork came to the aid of Taddy from Daniel Naidole’s goalbound effort.

Reuben Jerome went wide as the half-hour mark beckoned but Ingham was well placed.

Bokinji Lebrun looked as though he was pushed in the box but again the referee was unimpressed.

On 32 minutes, a strong challenge from Daniel Hartley thwarted the dangerous Evangelinos but there was nothing anybody could do to stop his goal five minutes before the break. A run down the left flank saw him switch the ball to his right foot and put an unstoppable curler off the underside of the bar into the top right-hand corner of the net.

It could not have come at a worse time for Taddy, who had every bit matched the Rams up to that moment - they simply had to be sharper in the box.

The second half saw a confident home side on the front foot. Eddie Rother brought out a decent save from the well-positioned Ingham on 51 minutes. Joshua Hmami was wide a minute later. On 68 minutes Rother screwed wide after a break down the left.

Luke Parkin was on for Andy Monkhouse on the hour as the Brewers looked for more options but the hill became a mountain on 69 minutes when Tom Kennedy’s cross was not cleared and Jerome nodded in the second goal from close range.

With a quarter hour left on the clock, the hosts rammed home their advantage when substitute Ben Richardson was not closed down and calmly drove hard and low beyond Ingham into the right corner of the net from outside the area.

Ejupi Rinor replaced Lebrun 81 minutes in but - despite five minutes' added time - Albion could find no way through for a consolation goal.

Ramsbottom were well marshalled in their box, broke quickly and demonstrated good running on and off the ball throughout the match. The Brewers could have no grumbles about the scoreline.

The next two games could be vital for play-off hopefuls Taddy as they visit third-placed Marine and fifth-placed Marske United over the coming two weekends.

Pickering Town stay at the foot of the table after falling to a 2-1 defeat at eighth-placed Runcorn Linnets.

The ever-reliable Danny Early had recovered from an ankle knock the previous week to give the Pikes an early lead as Pickering gave a good account of themselves.

His third-minute strike - set up by Matty Bowman, who capitalised on a stray pass from Paul Shanley - was overturned by second-half finishes from the hosts.

Liam Caddick stroked in from four yards out in the 57th minute after Craig Lindfield had dispossessed left-back Soni Fergus and Ally Brown played across goal.

Ben Wharton completed the comeback in the 70th minute.

Selby Town return to their free-scoring best as they defeated Swallownest 5-1 in Northern Counties East League division one.

With 355 in attendance, the largest crowd of the division witnessed another electrifying performance from the second-placed Robins.

Finishes from Casey Stewart, Sam Cable and Josh Rogerson gave Selby a three-goal advantage, with Alfie Smith reducing the deficit before the break.

Liam Flanagan added for the Robins in the second half and Rogerson netted his second with two minutes remaining.

There was a debut for new goalkeeper Dylan Parkin. Josh Walker played down the middle in place of the suspended Carl Stewart, and Cable came in for Charlie Clamp.

The match started with Selby quickly onto the front foot. The first few minutes belonged to Stewart, and it was fitting that he opened the scoring. A Town attack looked as if it had fizzled out, but it was resurrected by a poor defensive clearance and the ball came to Kain Rogerson, who fed the ball to his left, from where Stewart planted past the goalkeeper in the 11th minute.

With a little over quarter of an hour gone, Kain Rogerson was exhibiting some trickery, only for his cross to be deflected behind. As the ball came out from the corner, Liam Flanagan fired in a low hard shot. The ball bounced in front of young Swallownest goalkeeper, Owen Evans, who was unable to hold the shot and Cable nipped in to fire the rebound into the corner of the net.

Selby Town were very much on top and got a 35th-minute third through Rogerson. From a corner won by Stewart, Rogerson powered home a header just as he did in midweek.

Swallownest did not let their heads go down and, from their best period in the match, Smith netted from a scramble in the area.

After 68 minutes Flanagan got on the scoresheet. From a Swallownest corner, the ball was played quickly to Cable standing on the right touchline and he swept the ball behind the Swallownest defence. Flanagan was on it in a flash and smashed the ball home.

And Selby had the final say as leaping right-back Rogerson bagged himself another headed goal, glancing in a Kain Rogerson cross.