TADCASTER Albion’s recent run of good form came to an end on Tuesday night as they fell to a 3-2 defeat to previously-winless Pickering Town at Mill Lane.

Tony Hackworth’s Pikes had made a dreadful start to life back in the NCEL premier division, but now have their first points on the board.

The Brewers started on the front foot when Jo Crosby put Dan McDaid away down the left but his cross into a dangerous area was cleared.

Keiran Greenway’s corner was then too strong for Dan Thirkell at the far post before Tadcaster squandered a fantastic chance to give themselves the lead six minutes in when Crosby ran through the Pikes midfield, sliding in Greenway, but Lewis Stephens’ shot needed more weight to trouble Harrison McGuire.

However, Pickering then grew into the game, glancing a header wide from six yards before, fortuitously for Tadcaster, former Brewers Mathew Dawes and Nathan Dyer shot straight at Joe Wilton.

The shape of the game changed in the 33rd minute, Crosby and Brad Mills clashing heads, leaving the Tadcaster forward to be substituted in place of Olly Norman, making his first appearance since rejoining the club.

The last action of the opening segment saw Stephens, on a half chance battling with McGuire but the keeper remained strong, whilst at the other end Wilton was down quickly to deny the incoming Dyer.

With the scoreline goalless at the break, Pickering came out firing after the interval, taking the lead four minutes in as from a Tadcaster attack, Jamie Thornton won the ball and delivered an inch prefect long pass to Wayne Brooksby.

Unmarked on the left flank, Wayne Kitula stole into the six-yard box to open the scoring with his first goal of the season.

The visitors then had Wilton to thank as the Pikes began to pile on the pressure.

He came first in a one-on-one with Dyer whilst at the other end Stephens’ free header from a corner was cleared off the line. 

But things went from bad to worse for the visitors on 69 minutes as a dangerous ball into the box was handled by McDaid, Dawes dispatching the spot-kick with ease to give his side a two-goal lead.

Tadcaster, still battling hard, halved the deficit four minutes later with a penalty of their own, Norman dusting himself off to blast the ball past McGuire after he had been brought down in the box.

Just as it looked as though a draw would be likely, Pickering struck again with just over 10 minutes remaining, Wilton parrying a Brooksby shot into the path of Kitula, who made no mistake with an empty net at his disposal.

It was the Brewers who had the last word however, Greenway toe-poking home a second for Mick O’Connell’s side to make the scoreline more presentable in the fourth minute of added time.

Tadcaster return to action on Saturday at home to Boro Rangers in the opening round of the Isuzu FA Vase (3pm).