Guiseley put a forgettable first half behind them to take the game by the scruff of the neck from the restart and overturn a one-nil deficit in style with goals from Danny Ellis, Simon Ainge and Ciaran Toner to leapfrog FC Halifax, who went down to a single-goal defeat at home to improving Bishop’s Stortford.

Michael Blackwood brought an early save from Steve Drench as the visitors started brightly and they were rewarded when Justin Marsden latched on to a long throw to fire past Drench for the opener. Guiseley replied with Joe O’Neill’s ball over the back four that had James Walshaw stretching to make a connection, and when the latter went down under a challenge from Stuart Pierpoint on 24 minutes, the Moors centre-back  received the obligatory red card as the last defender but the resulting free kick came to nought.

Manager Steve Kittrick rang the changes at half time with Simon Baldry replacing Jamie Clarke on the right of midfield, a move that had an immediate impact as Baldry dropped an inviting cross into the six-yard box only to find no takers. However, sustained pressure from the Lions paid dividends on 52 minutes when Toner’s cross found the head of Danny Ellis, who ghosted in between Danny Spencer and Jasbir Singh to grab his third goal in six games.

There was even better to come three minutes later as Simon Ainge rifled in a bullet from fully forty yards that rocketed past Singh before he had time to react. Toner then capped a confident display on 59 minutes when Danny Boshell’s ball into O’Neill was headed into the midfielder’s path for him to turn the ball past Singh.

Now in the ascendancy, the Lions went on the offensive but were unable to add to their tally even when Danny Forrest and Chris Senior replaced O’Neill and Walshaw late on, but nevertheless this was a welcome three points that will put the Lions in good heart for their home games against Histon and Harrogate Town before they travel to Hyde a week on Saturday.

Team:
1 – Drench
2 – Ainge  55
3 – Merris
4 – Toner  59
5 – Elllis  52
6 – Wilson
7 – Holdsworth
8 – Boshell
9 – O’Neill (12-Senior, 80)
10 – Walshaw (14-Forrest, 75)
11 – Clarke (15-Baldry, 46)

Subs not used:
16 – Dean Lisles
18 – Jacob Giles