TADCASTER Albion secured a narrow victory over a struggling Eccleshill United thanks to goals from Dan McDaid and Olly Norman.

Tadcaster had five games in hand on their hosts, but had to deal with an explosive start from Eccleshill who almost took the lead in the first minute, Hiram Romero saving well from a one-on-one situation with Brice Ghussein.

On eleven minutes the hosts should have taken the lead; Romero parried Ghussein’s shot which dropped to Sumaili unmarked at the far post, but fortuitously he cleared the crossbar from ten yards.

Albion had a rare attack as Norman ghosted down the left, but Declan Slater’s shot was deflected onto the upright.

On 19 minutes the Taddy shot-stopper was again in action with a brilliant save tipping Emmanuel Amole’s shot onto the post.

Against the run of play Tadcaster took the lead in the twentieth minute; Norman’s shot from the 18-yard line was saved by Wilzynski, but Sam Kay pounced on the clearance and although Slater miscued his shot, skipper, Dan McDaid, was on hand at the far post to ram the ball home.

The lead was short lived when four minutes later when Zac Sangster made the best of some poor defending to slot the ball into the corner, bringing Eccleshill level.

It was very much a tit for tat ending to the half; Sumaila’s 25 yarder was well saved by Romero, Kitchen went wide from a corner and Kay was close to heading Albion back in front from another.

The scoreline realistically summed up the first half but in dreadful weather conditions Tadcaster had much to do to take all the points.

Luke Stewart was on for Slater on 63 minutes and almost immediately Albion went close but Norman could not quite properly connect with Kay’s defence splitter. Four minutes later, it was Norman again, this time latching onto Kitchen’s through ball and steering it into the net to put the Brewers ahead.

Nevertheless, The Brewers hung onto the lead for only their second away league win since Dunston in April 2022 in the Northern Premier East days.

Next Wednesday (3pm) the Brewers travel to Maltby Main and on Saturday (3pm) host the aforesaid, Hallam at the SoTrak Stadium.

Tadcaster Albion: Romero, Kay, McDaid, Qualter, Owen, Morris, Ibrahimi, Crosby, Kitchen, Norman (Greenway), Slater (Stewart). Subs Not Used, Thirkell, Ahmed, Hines