TADCASTER Albion fell to a first home defeat of 2025 after going down 3-0 at the hands of clinical Knaresborough.
Dominic Creamer's first-half double set the tone for the evening and Ben Parkes got in on the action after the break as Boro secured a NCEL Premier Division double over their North Yorkshire rivals.
Just three points separated the sides before kick off, and that was reflected in an even opening 20 minutes.
Knaresborough defended the first attack resolutely after Keiran Greenway had found space down the right channel, but after his cross was blocked, Luca Bolino won a corner that the away side also cleared.
Winger Oli Norman then saw Tadcaster's best chance of the opening half after outpacing and weaving his way past Jack Powis, but his shot fizzed narrowly past the post.
At the other end, James Beaston came close to firing Knaresborough in front when a corner from the left was headed down to his feet, only to instead snatch at the chance and send the ball over the crossbar from just outside the six-yard box.
The visitors though did find the breakthrough on 23 minutes, with Creamer left unmarked as a looping ball inside the box fell invitingly for him to send a sweet volley into the bottom right corner.
Parkes dragged an effort narrowly wide in another let-off for Tadcaster, but James Knowles' sin-bin opened the door for Knaresborough to double their lead eight minutes before the break.
Sam Kitchen, filling in at right-back, was unable to deal with a ball over the top, with Bradley Walker finding Creamer free at the back post to fire under a sprawling Sam Green and into the back of the net.
Mick O'Connell's side were lucky not to concede a third two minutes into the second half, but an attempted cut-back instead hit Thomas Brown and spun wide.
Tadcaster needed focus, but that did not materialise, and after Fatlum Ibrahimi was caught in possession, Parkes saw Green off his line and audaciously chipped the goalkeeper to score the visitors' third in the 54th minute.
Norman's powerful drive narrowly cleared the crossbar as the hosts looked for a response, but in truth they never really tested goalkeeper Tom Brown and could not match the physicality of the league's meanest defences.
Sam Kitchen forced Brown to tip a late strike around the post in a quiet end to the game, but Knaresborough were deserved winners.
Tadcaster will hope to bounce back when they travel to Handsworth on Saturday afternoon (3pm).
