Retford United 2-2 Tadcaster Albion

We decided against a trip to Darlington on bank holiday Monday and chose to watch unbeaten Retford United take on Tadcaster Albion. This was a repeat of the League cup tie i saw a couple of weeks ago. Both sides played some decent stuff that day so i hoped they would serve up similar fare today. I was to be wrong.
Prior to today Retford had won all three league matches without conceding a goal. Tadcaster on the other hand had only a solitary point to show for their efforts so far this season. I decided to have a couple of swift jars in the clubhouse before the match and all of the usual suspects were in there although i was a tad disappointed with the crowd. After the great start to the season the Badgers have had and the fact that there were no Football League games on i would have expected a few more to flock to Cannon Park, but never mind. I am sure that if Retford can keep their early season form up then a few more will come out of the woodwork.

Baz and i stood behind the goal that Retford were attacking in the first half and after about ten minutes of play we were joined by Felice and his good lady. The rumors that he was late due to the fact that he hadn't got the washing up done on time were neither confirmed or denied. One thing we can confirm however is that he wasn't wearing his Arsenal tracksuit top, which is strange as it would have been perfect in this slightly chilly weather. Must have had something to do with Sunday's result. We are "darn saff" next weekend so maybe it will come out then.

The game didn't get off to a very exciting start so after 5 minutes i had a glance at my phone to check up on how the Imps were doing. To my dismay, if not total surprise, we had gone a goal down after a whole 13 seconds! All the optimism after the good performances versus Telford and Stockport shot down in flames in seconds. Baz and Felice tried to tune into the commentary on BBC radio Lincolnshire but struggled to get any reception. Thankfully it didn't sound as if they missed a hell of alot.

The news from Darlo was bleak!

The first half was as poor a half as i have seen all season. Neither side could string more than two passes together and the ball spent far too much time in the air. Neither keeper was really tested with gathering crosses and taking goal kicks was all they had to do. Retford were attacking the car park end and the fact that the gatemen didn't have to go out to fetch any stray balls showed how little shooting Retford did.

The "Carpark end" (not taken at today's game but its pretty much the same

HT 0-0
The half time whistle was a relief as we made or way round to the tea hut for a cuppa. It was Baz's turn to get the teas in and very nice they were too. By this time Lincoln had managed to go two down and have a player injured. The decision not to waste £18 was looking better and better.
Thankfully the second half was better. Much better in fact. Retford looked like they had got a bollocking at half time and were all over Tadcaster. It was the visitors though that took the lead on 52min when Carl Steward took full advantage of a mix up in the Retford defence to finish from the edge of the box. Retford weren't behind for long though and were level on 56min when Steve Owens hit a low drive through a crowded penalty box.
Retford were now pretty much camped in the Tadcaster half but Albion managed to somehow keep them out. At times the game got quite heated as Tadcaster's defending got ever more desperate.
Retford can be a decent footballing side but they need to learn not to get sucked into playing a physical game by the opposition. They are a young side but have no real enforcers in the side. So when they try to stand up for themselves and give it back it just doesn't work. Tadcaster were very streetwise and gave away fouls in the right places and wound down the clock.

They eventually cracked on 86 minutes when Brad Wells brought down a cross and hit it into the bottom right hand corner on the turn. Something must have then kicked off on the far side following the goal as one of the Tadcaster entourage was led away from the dug out by the steward.
There was however to be a sting in the tail. Tadcaster got the equaliser in added on time when a great first time cross was whipped in from the left and a great header from Graeme Whitehead levelled the scores up. From the other end of the ground it looked as if the keeper was slow to react but i heard from those closer to it that he had no chance with it.
FT 2-2

All in all its been a decent start with Retford collecting three wins and a draw from their first four games. However, they need to learn to stick to their game and not get dragged down into a kick fest because its not their strength.
Lincoln lost 3-1; Tossers