By Olly Wood

FORMER Tadcaster Albion attacker Omar Sanyang secured a memorable New Year’s Day derby victory for Pickering Town over his old side.

Pickering took the lead through man-of-the-match Billy Logan just after the hour before, with just a minute to play, Eddie Church must have thought he had rescued the Brewers a point with his equaliser.

But Sanyang arrived in the nick of time to secure elation for the home supporters and despair for the visitors.

The Pikes remain second from bottom in the Northern Premier League east division but are now just a point behind Taddy, who sit one place above them.

Pickering started the brighter of the two sides and after just three minutes, Jack Johnson managed to get free in the box from a corner but his header was off target.

Down the other end, Church had a cross sliced by a defender but the ball bounced comfortably for on-loan Darlington keeper Lucas Martin.

Both sides were evenly matched, with the majority of the action being in the middle of the park, and Pickering showing their physicality.

Jack Carr was pressing well as he charged down a clearance before collecting the ball but his cross just had too much on it for Church arriving at the back post.

Burgess and Church combined in the 25th minute, the former seeing his shot deflected and land in the grateful arms of the keeper.

Tadcaster started to edge the game midway through the first half, creating more openings but still without troubling Martin.

On the half-hour mark, Carr slipped Church through but the striker delayed before seeing his shot deflected wide off a defender.

Just under 10 minutes before the break, Church narrowly missed the bottom-left corner with a low drive, his strike taking a slight deflection.

Martin saved comfortably from a speculative Burgess effort as half-time approached with Taddy finishing the first 45 strongly, without turning their half-chances into clear-cut opportunities.

Less than 10 minutes into the second half, Tad won a free kick. Jordan Deacey delivered and the ball dropped for Jack Crook, who looked to bend one left-footed, but the effort curled wide.

A minute later, Pickering had a big chance when a cross was met by Logan, but he could not hit the target with his header.

In the 63rd minute, the hosts took the lead through a thunderous Logan strike from distance crashed in off the underside of the bar.

Two minutes later, Hughes was forced into his first and only save of the game, getting down well to deny Sanyang. The Tad number one then watched the winger’s rebound balloon over the bar.

With just under 20 minutes to play, Carr - who had been lively on the wing - did well on the right before delivering a dangerous cross, which was well held by Martin.

Five minutes later, another Deacey corner caused problems but a deflection caused Kesi Omolokun’s poked effort to flick the post and wide.

In the 82nd minute, a Pickering cross was well taken by Hughes, who then launched a long ball. Burgess, who had worked hard all afternoon putting himself about like a classic number nine, managed to roll the defender and his powerful strike looked to have beaten the keeper but for a fingertip save.

In the 89th minute, Burgess did brilliantly to charge down Martin’s kick and he then unselfishly laid the ball on a plate for Church, who slid the ball into the empty net to level the game.

Neither side was prepared to settle for a solitary point but the final chance of the game fell to the hosts and, in the 90th minute, Sanyang cut in from the right and found the bottom corner with his left foot to win the game.