Tadcaster Albion were defeated 3-1 by an in-form Barton Town side at the Young Guns Arena on Friday night, despite the best efforts of their front men and a fourth goal in three league matches for Elliot Andrew.

The Brewers were visibly more buoyant throughout the match after two decent prior outings, but it wasn’t quite enough to best The Swans who have only been beaten thrice in the last 15 league games.

Barton had the first sight of goal from a corner, exacting a high press in the right-back position. Sam Green did just enough to bat the ball away from nearly under the crossbar, centre-half Jack Bulless connected with the follow up cross from the right but headed wide.

Luca Bolino initiated his battle with winger Alio Aydemir, lasting virtually the entire half, as the Brewer was in strongly to win the ball. The in-form Andrew was released through the middle and promptly tackled, but the ball ran loose for Bolino arriving late on the scene who arrowed a shot towards the bottom left for James Hitchcock to save well.

A frantic first 10 ended as Barton broke away on the counter, Fatlum Ibrahimi being charged down before he could get his shot away following a corner. Aydemir clipped a nicely weighted pass from the left over the Tadcaster back line to Grant Tait – getting to the ball before Green, who had raced out of the box to meet him, he brilliantly flicked the ball over the last defender and nodded home, giving the visitors the lead.

Barton had a huge chance to double their advantage 13 minutes later as Hitchcock’s kick up the field was headed away to James Burgess, a former Brewer currently dual-registered with Garforth Town. With the outside of his boot, he threaded a sensational pass in behind to Aydemir who could only fire wide.

Tadcaster responded well as Andrew dropped deep from the number 10 position and picked out Mason Wilson. The Brewers reached the right-hand byline and cut the ball back into the box and an off-balance Junayd Cassius-Gill adjusted his body well and hooked a shot with his right foot towards goal, grazing the bar.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Minutes later their next attack would have the same outcome as Bolino was released down the right wing after a string of neat passes in the middle. The ball came in low across the goal and was rifled onto the frame of the goal by a sliding Barton defender, narrowly escaping an own goal. Tadcaster likely couldn’t believe how they weren’t level, having sprang into action since going a goal down.

Disaster struck just after the half-hour mark; following a corner that was cleared away and a cross coming in from the follow up on the right, the ball bobbled through the bodies in the box only of the referee to halt the play for a penalty, booking James Knowles for denying a scoring opportunity.

The Swans’ top scorer Tom Waudby made no mistake, dispatching the spot kick into the bottom left.

In spite of the momentum shifting in Barton’s favour, Tadcaster kept battling away despite their profligacy in front of goal. With five minutes until half time, Bolino moved infield from the right with the ball before threading an intelligent pass into the channel between Barton’s right-side defenders to Elliot Andrew.

He raced in behind and poked the ball under the onrushing keeper and into the net.

However, the mounting pressure against Barton would come undone as Tadcaster failed to head a goal kick clear at the first time of asking, the away side winning the flick on.

Scorer of the first goal Tait managed to get his toe on the ball to steer it in behind the Tadcaster back line to Aydemir. Taking the time to compose himself, he slotted the shot past Green to make it 3-1.

Tadcaster Albion dropped to their sixth defeat from their last seven league matches against Barton Town.Tadcaster Albion dropped to their sixth defeat from their last seven league matches against Barton Town. (Image: Keith Handley) Tadcaster made an appeal for a penalty as the game neared the final 15 minutes, with Luca Bolino judged to have been fouled outside the penalty area rather than in it. The short free kick routine saw Bolino’s low drive well blocked.

Barton saw the game out rather comfortably and secured a 3-1 away victory against a frustrated Tadcaster.

TADCASTER ALBION: Green, Wilson, Owen, Thirkell, Knowles (Holmes, 88), Tweed (Kitchen, 88), Bolino, F. Ibrahimi (Shepherd, 82), Andrew, A. Ibrahimi (Ellington, 69), Cassius-Gill (Hines, 82)

Attendance: 197