Tadcaster Albion shoot for the stars as season hinges on last two games
TADCASTER Albion manager Paul Marshall is urging his players to get their shooting boots on as they face the two games that will decide their season.
Beat Yorkshire Amateur and Hemsworth Miners Welfare this week, and Taddy will start next season in the NCEL Premier Division.
Draw either fixture - and they could be forced to start from scratch.
Marshall ended Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Leeds Carnegie disappointed, despite a battling display, as his forwards spurned three gilt-edged chances in the last 10 minutes.
But Taddy’s fate is still in their own hands, going into the final two matches of the season.
“We have two games to go - win them both and we win the league,” Marshall said.
“But if we get four points and Leeds and Brighouse win their remaining games, we won’t even go up.
“We don’t want to blow it at this stage, having been up there all season.
“We want to get the rewards for all the hard work we have put in.”
That hard work has continued this week, with Marshall focusing on shooting at Tuesday night’s training session.
“We haven’t been scoring as many goals as I would like recently,” Marshall admitted.
The manager said Saturday’s game against Leeds Carnegie, which drew a season record crowd of 154 to The Park, had been a tense encounter, with the dry surface unsuitable for the slick passing game favoured by both sides.
Marshall said he was grateful to the local fire service for flooding the pitch on the Friday, but this had ultimately failed to alleviate the problem because of the continuing warm weather.
“We passed the ball very well at the start, given the pitch, and got a goal through Kevin Smith, who scored at the back post and got on the end of a cross from the left wing, showing great technique to volley in,” Marshall said.
“It wasn’t the most free-flowing game and defensively we were all over the place, scrambling around to make tackles, but we went in 1-0 at half-time without being at our best.”
In the second half, Leeds upped their game and were rewarded with a goal 20 minutes from time, as Albion defender Steve Jeff got to the ball ahead of a Carnegie striker, but could only turn the ball past his own ‘keeper.
The match then promised to turn in Taddy’s favour, as Leeds - who had used all three substitutions - saw another player injured, effectively being reduced to 10 men.
“They were pressing us for the winner and, being down to 10 men, it meant they opened up at the back,” Marshall said.
“In the last 10 minutes, we had three glorious chances to win the game and we spurned them all. It was poor play by our forwards.
“I was disappointed - we should have won that game.”
The Brewers face Yorkshire Amateur tomorrow (3pm), then Hemsworth Miners Welfare on Tuesday (7.45pm), with both fixtures at The Park.
“We will go straight for it in both games and just attack them,” Marshall said.
“It’s going to be tough, but the players are very confident.
“We are capable of winning both games.”
Taddy are expected to be without Andy Dawson and Graham Whitehead, who are still nursing injuries, while Ryan Watson is also misses both games through suspension.
Kevin Smith, Mark Thompson and Paul James all returned at the weekend and remain fit to play.
Now Marshall is hoping another big crowd can come out and roar Taddy to glory.
“To get 150 people coming out to support us at this crucial stage is brilliant,” Marshall said.
“We play a lot of good football and I think people appreciate the turn, with us going from a bottom three to a top three side.
“It’s a remarkable story.”
rick.burin@ypn.co.uk
NCEL Div One PPts
Brighouse Town 3370
Leeds Carnegie 339
Tadcaster Albion 3268
Staveley Miners Welf 3262
Pontefract Collieries 3258
Barton Town OB 3357
AFC Emley 3453
Hemsworth Miners W 3252
Bottesford Town 3445
Rossington Main 3342
Teversal 3338
Askern Villa 3336
Yorkshire Amateur 3334
Glasshoughton Welf 3334
Appleby Frodingham 3434
Eccleshill United 3328
Grimsby Borough 3425
Worsbrough Bridge 3320
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Sunday 05 February 2012
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