Lancaster City 1-0 Tadcaster Albion

A perfectly placed first-half free-kick from Ryan Winder was enough to see Lancaster City get back to winning ways against Tadcaster Albion at Giant Axe on Saturday.
Ryan Winder celebrates scoring what turned out to be the winning goal. Picture: Tony NorthRyan Winder celebrates scoring what turned out to be the winning goal. Picture: Tony North
Ryan Winder celebrates scoring what turned out to be the winning goal. Picture: Tony North

The hosts had lost their last two and were in need of a victory to keep up with top of the league Farsley Celtic and they made hard work of it against Tadcaster.

Both teams really struggled with a pitch that was cutting up under foot and making it difficult to play the ball on the ground.

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But it was Lancaster that started the brighter and the first chance fell to Jacob Gregory 25 yards from goal whose shot was straight at the ‘keeper.

The Dolly Blues went in front on 17 minutes through Winder, whose free-kick looped over the Tadcaster wall and nestled in the bottom corner of Chandler Hallwood’s goal.

The goal brought the game to life with both teams attacking with intent.

First, Gregory should have doubled City’s lead as he was unmarked in the box but could only head Winder’s cross into the hands of the ‘keeper.

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Then the visitors went straight up the other end and should have equalised as Josh Greening was played through on goal but his snapshot hit the side netting.

Hannu Tam, who came on as a substitute for the injured Jordan Connerton, almost made an immediate impact as he found himself one-on-one with Hallwood but could only poke his shot straight at the ‘keeper.

And just before half-time Tadcaster were inches from equalising as Conor Sellars, the visitors’ stand-out player, hit his free-kick from 25 yards against the crossbar.

Lancaster breathed a sigh of relief when half-time came and they saw it as a chance to regroup but Tadcaster came out fighting and should have scored when Jordan Armstrong’s cross was met with the head of the unmarked Greening three yards from goal but the striker could only watch his effort fly over the bar.

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And then Carl Stewart pounced on a rare defensive mishap from Glen Steel to curl a shot at goal which Mike Hale was equal to and parried round the post.

But Lancaster really should have put the game to bed with 10 minutes to go when Gregory’s cross reached Tom Kilifin but his shot hit the outside of the post.

City’s next travel to Radcliffe Borough this Saturday, March 25.

Lancaster City: Hale, Henry, Sumner, Wills, Steel, Mercer, Gregory, Carney (Akrigg), Connerton (Tam), Kilifin (Westwood), Winder. Subs not used: Clark, Hudson.

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Tadcaster Albion: Hallwood, Armstrong, Shepherd, Barrett, Anderson, Thirkell, Youhill, Sellars, Stewart (Jendi), Corner, Greening. Subs not used: Ibrahimi, Grant, Hansen.

Referee: Elliott Swallow.

Attendance: 233.