TADCASTER Albion's debutants delivered a perfect hat-trick as they opened their NCEL Premier League campaign with an assured 3-0 victory over Bottesford Town at the Young Guns Arena.

James Knowles and Elliot Andrew handed the Brewers a 2-0 lead at the break before Alfie Dean wrapped up the scoring early in the second half as they began the new season in perfect fashion.

Tadcaster started well, with the first clear-cut chance falling to Andrew.

After a strong challenge from Fatlum Ibrahimi on halfway, Dean was released down the left wing before floating a pass to the striker on the edge of the box, but he fired a low shot just wide.

Bottesford soon responded, with winger Jaxon Borland haring forward down the right wing. His low shot was parried by goalkeeper Sam Green and Sam Kitchen wasn’t standing on ceremony to clear the danger. 

Borland launched another attack moments later, taking on captain Daniel Thirkell and seeing his low cross deflected behind for a corner.

As the rain began to pour, Tadcaster had calls for a penalty after the lively Luca Bolino went down on the edge of the box, but referee Paul Milosevic, who had a firm hold on the game all afternoon, was not interested.

The Brewers gained some momentum focusing their attacking moves out wide, with Dean forcing a save from Jordan Quibell before Thirkell met a cross at the back post, only for the goalkeeper to parry it to his left.

But on 27 minutes they finally made one of their set-pieces pay, Dean delivering a pin-point corner into the middle of the penalty area for Knowles to power in a header after outmuscling his marker.

Albion turned up the tempo once more 12 minutes later, Ibrahimi rolling the ball onto Junaid Cassius-Gill, who dropped into a pocket of space behind the Bottesford midfield before picking out Josh Hardcastle. 

The marauding wing-back’s cross was headed away as far as Andrew, who made no mistake firing down the middle and catching the goalkeeper off balance to double their lead.

That proved to be the last action of the half, but it didn’t take long for the hosts to add a third after the break.

Hardcastle, in a tireless Man of the Match performance, received the ball after making himself available by the touchline on the right. 

He picked out Andrew, who then shifted the ball into Dean, unmarked on the edge of the penalty area, the forward showing great composure by instinctively caressing the ball first-time under the goalkeeper’s body and into the bottom left. 

That marked a perfect hat-trick of goals from Tadcaster debutants, scored with a header and both feet. 

Cassius-Gill thought he had put the home side four goals to the good moments later, taking the ball round the goalkeeper and tapping into an empty net, only for play to be brought back for a foul earlier in the move.

The visitors though had chances of their own as the clock ticked down.

Green found himself under pressure from substitute forward Aristides Cunha and played the ball straight to the away side’s midfield, yet the shot was curled over the bar from range.

Borland was also determined not to walk away without a goal and went near with a low shot that was deflected wide for a corner after battling through several challenges.

But Tadcaster saw out five minutes of additional time to secure a deserved three points.

The Brewers are next in action on Saturday when they host Seaham Red Star in the Extra Preliminary Round of the Emirates FA Cup (3pm).