Jack Cross beats Jack Frost to net a treble

A hat-trick from Jack Cross helped Badgers to victory over the side directly above them in the NCEL Premier.

Retford took the lead on 22 minutes, a knock down by James O’Neill was picked up by Cross who fired past the keeper for his first of the season.

Within a minute of the second half kicking off, the lead was doubled as Cross worked his way into the box to curl in a shot that the keeper somehow let slip through his hands and into the net.

Tadcaster had an immediate response 60 seconds later, Chris Youlden slotting the ball past Ayden Duffy to reduce the arrears.

On 63 minutes, a foul on Cross won Retford a free-kick on the edge of the box, Bobby Johnson firing it into the top corner, in off the angle for Retford’s third.

With eight minutes left the points were sealed when Cross managed to beat the offside trap and race into the box before slotting the ball home for his hat-trick, taking Badgers back to winning ways.