Stewart stars again as Brewers put four past North End

The young striker netted the Brewers’ winner at Clitheroe last time out and produced another impressive performance in Saturday’s Evo-Stik North clash at the i2i Stadium.

Unbeaten in three league games, in-form Albion started brightly and Billy Whitehouse produced a teasing cross from the right that was clipped narrowly over the top Stewart.

Courtney Meppin-Walter then had Glossop’s first effort of the afternoon as he let fly from 30 yards, but returning custodian Michael Ingham tipped the ball wide at full-stretch.

Seconds later from the resulting corner, the towering Meppin-Walter had a glorious chance to open the scoring, but he couldn’t beat Ingham from six yards out.

That miss was to prove costly as three minutes later, Taddy were ahead.

Stewart fizzed a ball into Aiden Savory who returned the favour allowing the the young attacker to dance through the North End back-line in one swift movement before finishing emphatically.

Both sides were then forced into making substitutions with Glossop captain Adam Jones trudging off before Corey Roper took a nasty knock on the ankle and was replaced by Conor Sellars.

With the hosts playing some tidy football, they doubled their lead shortly after the half-hour in fortuitous fashion.

Pete Davidson brought the ball under control before bursting into the penalty area and unleashing a low blast towards goal tha took a wicked bounce and entered the net via gloveman Paul Phillips.

Frustration was evident in the Glossop ranks as midfielder Kane Hickman came flying through the back of goalscorer Davidson to then be shown a yellow card.

The visitors began the second half on the front foot after apparently regrouping at the break.

They started playing their football in Tad’s half in the early stages of the second period, but they failed to trouble Ingham or Tadcaster’s back-line.

Albion’s third goal of the day effectively ended the game as a contest, however, and it arrived in the 56th minute.

Glossop stopper Phillips raced off his line but miscued his clearance straight to Stewart.

The Taddy man shrugged off a blue shirt, remained composed and picked out the back of the unguarded net from all of 35 yards.

On a pitch that began to cut up due to the constant barrage of rain, Ingham was forced into making his first save of any note when he got down well to push Callum Chippendale’s bouncing shot from range wide of the post.

Tadcaster continued to look menacing when marauding forward and they came close to a fourth half-way through the second 45 when a sliced clearance from Callum Spooner fell to Davidson whose shaped effort was palmed away by Phillips.

The visitors came as close as they would get to a breakthrough a minute later when a dangerous ball across the face of goal was shielded away by Aaron Hardy with substitute Max Hazeldine sliding in.

The effervescent Stewart caused the Hillmen problems all afternoon and he almost completed his hat-trick seven minutes from time when a sublime body feint opened up space in the box, but his powerful blast was kept out by Phillips.

There was still time for another goal, however, and Taddy rounded off an outstanding afternoon’s work as Stewart turned provider in the final minute of normal time.

The striker could have engineered a shooting chance to try and complete his treble, but to his credit he unselfishly teed up substitute Andy Milne and he swept the ball firmly into the bottom corner to round things off.

Victory lifts Morton’s men up one place to 10th position in the league standings, and they are now just four points shy of a play-off spot.