Tadcaster Albion in nervy spot after Bottesford defeat

A poor first hour saw Albion go 4-1 down before an attempted comeback with two goals was put to rest when the hosts got another with just four minutes to go.

It was an all too familiar story in the first half as the Brewers started brightly but then succumbed to three goals within the first 35 minutes.

On 11 minutes, Bottesford opened the score when Jonny Nyantou broke away from Elliot Holmes in the box with pace and side-footed home into the bottom right.

Luke Ayris was next on the scoresheet at the half-hour mark, when after Dan Thirkell blocked his initial shot, he drilled home the rebound with an outside-the-boot first-time strike which swerved into the bottom left corner.

Further misery was piled onto the away side via another Nyantou goal on the break on 34 minutes. After a poorly executed corner routine by the Brewers, Bottesford launched a brutal counter-attack which resulted in the striker bagging his second, and Bottesford’s third.

There were vocal reactions of frustration from Tadcaster players at the restart, who became a more stable team from this point forward.

Three minutes later they were awarded a penalty when home keeper Ben Voase swiped Luca Bolino’s ankles in the box. Elliot Andrew stepped up from the spot and slotted home into the bottom left.

Elliott Andrew tucks home his penalty. (Image: Keith Handley) Tadcaster started the half with a reshuffled line-up, including three changes in Charlie Owen, Junayd Cassius-Gill, and James Knowles, who replaced Mason Wilson, Hines, and Thirkell. Kieran Greenway would also replace Raeece Ellington shortly after. Despite the mountain to climb, The Brewers were revitalized!

Andrew was hungry for more, attempting an audacious chip in the 57th minute as the number nine spotted the keeper off his line from around 20 yards out, however, his lob went just wide of the post. Bolino was denied by Voase on 55 minutes.

Nevertheless, against the run of play in the second-half, Bottesford’s attacking prowess would strike yet again. In the 68th minute, a cross from the left by Nyantou was met by Ayris, whose looping header sank into the net to give the full-back his second goal of the game.

It was Deja vu for the Brewers who once again found themselves with 20 minutes to go, winning a penalty after conceding. Andrew stepped up and buried the ball into the net off the crossbar. 4-2.

The momentum of the game continued to be in Tadcaster’s favour before the inevitable happened in the 84th minute as Cassius-Gill pulled Bottesford’s lead back further. Despite the home defence blocking several efforts in the build-up, the ball pinballed to the winger who smashed a first-time finish past keeper Voase at the near post.

The feeling in the stadium was that a remarkable comeback was really on the cards, but it was an own goal which broke Taddy hearts at the end - Ayris put the ball in the box but it fell to the unfortunate Owen who couldn’t get his footing right in time as he bundled the ball into his own net with four minutes to go.

The loss puts Tadcaster in an uncomfortable league position as Bottesford go ahead of the Brewers, who now sit in 17th, just four places above the foot of the table.

TADCASTER ALBION: Green, Wilson (Owen, 45), Tweed, Thirkell (Knowles, 45), Holmes, Kitchen (Ibrahimi, 66), Bolino, Shepherd, Andrew, Hines (Cassius-Gill, 45), Ellington (Greenway, 63)