A DOMINANT late spell wasn’t enough for Tadcaster Albion to salvage a draw from 2-0 down at home to Campion on a wintry Friday night at the Young Guns FC Arena.

The contest was tight in the first-half, but Campion showed the quality of final pass that Tadcaster had been lacking for a large part of the match.

The home side were under pressure right from kick off, as right back Callan Wells sent a searching ball down the right hand side.

Tadcaster’s first chance came as Sam Kitchen secured a loose ball inside his own half, and found Ethan Kachosa sprinting forward from the right-back position. Taking on Karl Fitzgerald, a looping cross cleared the penalty area as Luca Bolino retrieved and saw his shot blocked from 20-yards out.

Elliot Andrew, whose goal away to promotion hopefuls Penistone Church brought his side their only win in the last six league games, had Ed Wilcynski concerned with a dipping free kick on 13 minutes which he smartly tipped over the crossbar.

Fatlum Ibrahimi was a constant presence in midfield, and won the ball with a firm challenge in the middle after 18 minutes before slotting a perfectly weighted ball in between the centre halves to Bolino, one-on-one, whose low chip was saved.

Although they had settled into their groove, Tadcaster had a heart-stopping moment in their own penalty area when Gregson was played in on the right wing after a ball over the defence from Kirby. Sam Green managed to palm the cross aside but Khan, with four league goals to his name in league appearances, couldn’t put the rebound in.

Just before the half-hour mark, Campion took the lead after more good work out on the wing.

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Khan received the ball from Robbie Graham and showed good feet to get away from Ibrahimi. Kirby then found Fitzgerald on the overlap, and Khan nodded the cross down to Kaiser Ali standing merely a few yards from the goalline and poked the ball into the net.

Green was called into action a few minutes before the break to keep out Gregson, latching onto a through ball from Khan as the Tadcaster back line was caught out.

The away side looked well disciplined in the second-half, trying to threaten on the counter yet always managing to get enough men behind the ball during the transition.

Mick O’Connell’s side were focusing their attacks through Bolino and right-back Kachosa, who contributed more effectively on the offence with some scintillating runs from deep.

Ben Tweed had thought he’d heaved Tadcaster level on 65 minutes, a cross from the right falling invitingly at his feet after Campion refused to clear. His shot was well blocked.

A high ball out of the Campion defence was chested down nicely by skipper Aidan Kirby with 15 minutes left in the game, shifting the ball through the middle to top scorer Khan who rounded several challenges with the drop of his shoulder only for the shot to be beaten away by Green.

The Brewers were chasing the game with 10 men until the dying moments as James Knowles was sin-binned.

Entering the final five minutes, it was starting to get away from them as Andrew Shepherd turned away from a Campion midfielder and spotted Kachosa in an advanced position again. Another cross found Hudson inside the penalty area, whose shot this time was straight at Wilcynski.

Tadcaster Albion have dropped to 13th after a 2-0 defeat to Campion.Tadcaster Albion have dropped to 13th after a 2-0 defeat to Campion. (Image: Keith Handley) Shaun Hudson would have another opportunity just two minutes later, after Wilcynski parried a dangerous low ball from Kachosa. He was up again smartly and made another save to keep Hudson out, in a brilliant second half showing that kept Campion’s noses in front.

The Red & Blacks’ stalwart defending was rewarded with a second goal on the counter attack in the final minute. Substitute Joshua Green was sent steaming away down the middle after escaping a challenge of the last man back. Green strode off his line and stood his ground, the ball then being shifted to Gregson who arrowed it into the bottom left with the Tadcaster goalkeeper off balance.

TADCASTER ALBION: Green, Kachosa, Wilson, Knowles, Qualter, F. Ibrahimi, Ellington (Greenway, 61), Kitchen (Shepherd, 77), Andrew (A. Ibrahimi, 61), Tweed, Bolino (Hudson, 67)

Attendance: 225