Guiseley management’s talk of getting back amongst the play-off candidates seems to have fallen on deaf ears if tonight’s uninspriring performance and defeat against a side that hadn’t registered a win since mid-October is anything to go by.
On a foul night with a strong wind blowing down the pitch and persistent heavy showers it wasn’t a night for one-touch football but the visitors adapted better to the conditions than the Lions did and could have been a couple of goals to the good going into the break with some steadier finishing.
As it was, they found themselves trailing to a Kaine Felix strike after ex-Lions Cliff Moyo and centre back partner Ryan Johnson had contrived to set up the returning winger who beat William Mannion with a pristine finish five minutes before the break. Lee Shaw then went close but was denied by Mannion.
Earlier the ball looked to have crossed the line after Scott Garner had prodded the ball home only to see it cleared from a Guiseley corner but the officials waved away the home sides claims for a goal.
With hailstones added to the rain on the restart it really was proving to be a battle with the conditions as much as each other for both teams but it was the Harriers who struck eleven minutes in when Ashley Chambers capitalised on some indecisive defending to grab an equaliser.
With the visitors growing in confidence it was no surprise when they took the lead through when Samuel Austin cut inside and curled a sublime shot into the top corner from 25 yards out on 64 minutes.
Having conceded the lead the home side reaorganised at the back as Hamza Bencheriff, who had been playing up front in the absence of the injured Aaron Martin, reverted to his normal centre back position.
Paul Clayton also replaced Shaw as the Lions sought to get back into the game but it was the visitors who had a goal ruled out for offside with fourteen minutes remaining and Brad Nicholson’s timely intervention kept Guiseley’s hopes of salvaging something from the game alive.
Scott Smith and Nathan Newall replaced Dylan Barkers and Nicholson with seven minutes left on the clock and an additional four minutes of added time saw Dewhurst added to the bodies in the box as the Lions forced two successive corners which came to naught as they slipped to their third home defeat in a row.
Attendance: 276
Team:
1. Marcus Dewhurst
2. Reiss McNally
3. Brad Nicholson (Newall)
4. Dylan Barkers (Smith)
5. Hamza Bencherif
6. Scott Garner
7. Aram Soleman
8. George Cantrill
9. Lee Shaw (Clayton)
10. Kaine Felix
11. Gabriel Johnson
Subs:
12. Scott Smith
14. Andai Jones
15. Kenedy Digie
16. Paul Clayton
17. Nathan Newall
