High-flying league newcomers North Ferriby found to their cost that there are no easy games in the Skrill North as visitors Guiseley stifled their challenge to record a deserved victory, the first of new manager Mark Bower’s reign.
Returning favourite Danny Boshell resumed his old midfield role in the starting line-up, ironically watched by former manager Steve Kittrick who was amongst a crowd of just over 300.
Two goals from former United player Wayne Brooksby, added to Gavin Rothery’s spot kick, saw the Lions register their first win since late August.
This after Ferriby had taken the lead against the run of play before Guiseley responded with two before the break only to be pegged back at the start of the second half.
The visitors started strongly and had much the better of the first half but were undone after just ten minutes when a cross to the far post found the unmarked Liam King and his looping header over Steve Drench eventually nestled in the far corner to give Ferriby an unexpected lead.
Alex Johnson was a tad away from squaring matters on two occasions but when he was bundled over in the area on 34 minutes Rothery stepped up to blast home the spot kick.
With Jake Lawlor and Adam Lockwood countering the United response it was the Lions who took the lead when Brooksby’s free kick from twenty five yards out found its way through a posse of players in a crowded penalty area and under keeper Adam Nicklin with three minutes left on the clock.
The dangerous Anthony Wilson restored parity on 47 minutes with a shot from close in although Steve Drench looked to have been seriously impeded in trying to get to the ball.
However, the visitors stuck to their game plan and were rewarded with Brooksby’s winner on 70 minutes which came as a result of Rothery’s persistence, and although his shot lacked power the ball drifted beyond the helpless Nicklin and Matt Wilson for Brooksby to apply the finishing touch.
Brooksby almost grabbed a third shortly after as his cross-cum-shot looped up off former Lion Wilson but went millimetres the wrong side of the post.
And although the home side huffed and puffed in search of an equaliser they found a resolute defence aided and abetted by some stoic work from the midfield quartet as the visitors secured the three points that moves them six places up the table to 14th.
Mark Bower’s post-match interview
Images of Gavin Rothery’s penalty and Alex Johnson’s header
Teams
1– Drench
2- Holdsworth
3- Meynell
4-Rea
5-Lockwood
6-Lawlor
7-Brooksby 42 & 70
8-Boshell (Potts 78)
9-Johnson (Hobson 83)
10-Burns (Swain 80)
11-Rothery 34 pen
12-Clarke
14-Potts
15-Swain
16-Hobson
17-Dickinson
