Knaresborough Town put four past Golcar United as Tadcaster Albion lose play-off spot

Simon Parkes’ men headed into the game having lost both of their two previous NCEL Premier Division outings, but proved far too good for their visitors to Manse Lane.

Sam Barker got the hosts off to a flying start, breaking the deadlock with just six minutes on the clock.

Running on to James Beaston’s nicely-weighted chip over the top of the Golcar defence, the Boro number 10 sent a calm finish beyond the advancing Harry Stead.

Jack Lazenby doubled the home advantage from the penalty spot on 33 minutes, sending Stead the wrong way from 12 yards after Luke Stewart had been fouled inside the box.

United got themselves back into the contest in the 42nd minute when George Doyle beat the Knaresborough offside trap and fired past Edd Hall.

But Parkes’ troops managed to restore their two-goal cushion before the interval – and in some style too.

Jack Dyche took aim from all of 45 yards out and lobbed a superb finish over the scrambling Stead.

Slater Barnes came close to extending the Boro lead after the break, but Sam Leverett did eventually make it 4-1 when he curled home a fine free-kick on 78 minutes to wrap things up.

Saturday’s victory lifted Town up to 12th place in the table.

Elsewhere in the Premier Division, Tadcaster Albion slipped out of the play-off places as a result of their 4-2 loss at Albion Sports.

The Brewers began the weekend fifth in the table, but the combination of their first league defeat in four matches and Barton Town’s win over Parkgate saw them drop to sixth position on goal-difference.

Two goals down early on, William Marshall and Matt Mulhearn twice got Ryan Qualter’s team back into the game, but they were nowhere near their best on the day and finished up empty-handed.

And Taddy’s manager was fairly scathing in his post-match assessment of his players’ efforts.

“Credit to Albion, they were up for it and they deserved the win” he said. “But, we have chosen the wrong day to produce our worst performance of the season.

“I can’t really put my finger on why [that happened], but I have to take it on the chin, I got it wrong.

“Sometimes, as a manager, you put your trust in people who may be you shouldn’t, and I picked the wrong 11. I could see that pretty quickly.

“We just did not look like we had the desire to go and win that football match. You have got to win your headers, your tackles, and your individual battles, and I don’t think that anybody really did that.

“From one to 11, Albion were better, and when you are losing nine out of 10 individual battles, you are going to lose the game of football.”