Report: Tadcaster Albion (H)

Emley move 6 points clear at the summit of the NCEL, emerging victorious in a hard-fought affair. Tracey’s men were dominant throughout the game, and despite the treacherous conditions, the boys in claret and blue got over the line to take another huge step towards the league title and promotion.

The visitors attempted to throw Emley off their game, forcing a switch of sides, however the Pewits were straight into their groove from minute one. They took a grip of the ball, showing their sublime passing skills, not letting Tadcaster have a sniff of possession, and really dictating the overall flow of the game in the opening stages. They were lacking a bit in the final third, and whether it was the final pass or the final touch, it just wasn’t quite coming off for the front line.

As minute by minute went by, the Pewits seemed to get closer and closer, and a home goal was inevitable. By controlling every inch of the pitch, the hosts were generating concrete chance after chance, and whenever the visitors did manage to wriggle their way forward, the shot or pass they created was left wanting that bit more, and Emley’s defenders were nullifying any movements into their defensive zones.

The same can be said for where most of the game was being played. The ball rarely left Tadcaster’s half, only from a goal kick or a clearance, and when they did manage to get it away, it wasn’t long before the ball was straight back where it came from.

With 5 minutes of regulation time left on the clock, Emley’s dominance finally bore fruit, as Irywah Gooden clasped onto a ball that was played over the top, the visiting keeper rushed, and with Gooden’s neat footwork, he managed to quickly get it around him, and play a ball into Ruben Jerome, who just had to get anything onto the ball to knock it into an empty net, which he did, as he sent the Emley faithful into raptures.

Following the opener, the game settled down as Emley wanted to avoid any silly mistakes and ensure that they went into halftime with the lead.

H/T Emley 1-0 Tadcaster Albion

Upon the restart, it was clear that Emley’s confidence was growing and Tadcaster’s frustrations were beginning to get the better of them, from arguing within the team, to talking back to the referee with every decision that went against them.

A couple of calls however, for many fans within the ground, thought should’ve resulted in penalties, and and on multiple occasions, the referee took a lengthy amount of time to come to a decision, when a call should’ve been made for relatively easy situations.

Following his goal, top-scorer Ruben Jerome was forced off the pitch 20 minutes into the second half, going down off the ball, medical staff were called onto the pitch, and whether it was precautionary or an injury, he was deemed unable to continue and replaced by Paul Walker, and with such a vital fixture schedule ahead, Tracey and the Emley faithful will be hoping that it is not a lengthy sidelining.

However, this was quickly forced out of people’s minds, when 2 minutes after Jerome was substituted, Walshaw pushed forward into the box, and was somewhat forced to the ground, yet he quickly got to his feet, and thanks to a sublime cross from number 2 - Sam Pashley, Walshaw poked home to send the hosts into a well-deserved 2 goal lead.

It is often said that a two-goal lead can be the most dangerous lead in football, and with 20 minutes still to play, Emley very quickly transitioned from attacking football to a more balanced game, absorbing Tadcaster’s forward momentum and counter-attacking when the opportunity presented itself.

Brave defending and some smart play, stopped Tadcaster from pulling back a goal and making it risky for the Pewits, and a complete team performance meant that Tadcaster’s frustrations and lack of quality were playing them out of the game, and in a roundabout way, they were preventing themselves from producing any concrete chances that could’ve got them back in the game.

Emley saw out the final moments with relative ease, and even managed a few forays forward, hitting the post, or just having a heavy touch, stopping them putting the game beyond doubt but still showcasing their quality, dominance and synergy within the team.

Although it was a hard fought victory, Emley managed to get the job done and claim the vital three points they needed, and with title rivals Campion losing, thanks to local rivals Penistone, the Pewits move 6 points clear still with 2 games in hand, making another pivotal stride towards the NCEL title.

F/T Emley 2-0 Tadcaster Albion

Line-Up – Petrovic, Pashley, Hardaker, Metcalfe, Knowles, Cowgill, Clegg, Kenny, Jerome, Gooden, Walshaw

Subs – Curtis, Walker, T Haigh, Eyles, K Haigh

Attendance – 405

Moxon & Co. Man of the Match – Alex Metcalfe