Wednesday 17th August 2011
at 2inspire Park, Ings Lane, Tadcaster
Baris NCEL League Cup 2nd Round
Tadcaster Albion (0) 1
Carl Stewart 64
Retford United (0) 3
Barry Payne 60, Ollie Chappell 73, Jamie Brown 76
Admission £5, Programme £1, Attendance 81
Tadcaster Albion: Reid (Lawrie), Pitts, Jeff (Tasker), Thompson, Williamson, Qualter, Hopcutt, Taylor, Gray, Stewart, Howgate.
Subs: Sparkes, James, Ward.
Retford United: Fisher, Baugh, Smith, Hayes, Nightingale, Issott (Scott), Chappell, Payne, Brown (Rick), Hatfield, Owens (Tomlinson).
Subs: Austin, Corrigan.
L to R. Jamie Brown, Hinge and Bracket
In't the internet brilliant!? A really famous (infamous?) Disc Jockey and local Lothario, read on this blog that I was considering going to Tadcaster tonight and rang to offer me a lift :-)
Ta very much mate!
Which meant I could partake of alcoholic beverage before, during and after this NCEL League Cup fixture ... and that somebody, somewhere actually reads this rubbish.
Ta very much mate!
Which meant I could partake of alcoholic beverage before, during and after this NCEL League Cup fixture ... and that somebody, somewhere actually reads this rubbish.
'Taddy's' Ings Lane ground is tucked away at the bottom of the drive that runs centrally, right through the middle of John Smith's Brewery and the aroma hanging over the place possibly means you'd fail a breathalyser test on the way home by virtue of merely breathing it in.
Some of the locals reminded me of a famous trio of TV personalities ... I never did get around to asking what on earth "Linesman you're a chuffin' Biro!" actually meant ... or if Nora had been wearing her wrinkly stockings in Sid's Cafe today.
Retford were out of the blocks fastest, but Albion contained the early pressure.
Aaron Reid, the Tadcaster keeper, fell awkwardly under a challenge in the box and the game was held up for quite a while, while he received treatment.
Reid eventually managed to carry on, but had to come off before half time and was replaced by Peter Lawrie.
Carl Stewart looked lively for the home side ... Jason Fisher in the Badgers goal saved well from him and Danny Gray's effort on the rebound was blocked en route too.
Stewart was then involved again, his long throw was knocked away from goal and Nick Thompson powered an header narrowly wide of the Retford goal.
Right on the stroke of half time, Tadcaster's substitute goalie made a brilliant save, tipping the ball over from, err ... a Retford player (???). I was stood on the steps to the bar, getting myself in pole position for half time and my bleary old eyes struggled to identify who it was from that range.
On the hour, Carl Stewart peppered a shot narrowly over the bar.
But despite the obvious threat the Albion number 10 possessed, it was the visitors who went ahead on 65 minutes when Barry Payne curled the ball home from 20 yards out.
Four minutes later Carl Stewart got the goal he'd been threatening to get all night, Danny Pitts picked him out with a long pass and Stewart took it down on his chest and drilled the ball past Fisher to equalise ... and it was still anybody's game.
On 73 minutes, Ollie Chappell (back at his old stomping ground this season), fired United in front from outside the box ... and three minutes later Peter Lawrie miss-hit a clearance right into the path of Jamie Brown who capitalised on the keepers error to give the visitors a two goal cushion.
Tadcaster, to their credit, kept chasing the game, but at the final whistle Retford United's 100% record since the season started for real is still intact.
Three wins out of three for Brett Marshall's new look side ... it's looking promising for them this season.
Elsewhere in North Notts, a crowd of 456 saw Worksop Town's first competitive match of the season at the Windsor Food Services Stadium AKA Sandy Lane, the ground they've been exiled from for the last three long, hard seasons.
They drew 1-1 with Stafford Rangers.
Luke Beckett is rejoining the Tigers later this week to give them a bit more bite in front of goal.
It doesn't bear thinking about just how close both Retford United and Worksop Town came to going out of business altogether in recent times, let's just be grateful that they both survived.
