Fledgling reporter Evan Seaman’s take on Saturday’s 3-0 win over FC United of Manchester
Experience was no match for youth as this season’s record attendance at Nethermoor Park of 902 watched Guiseley AFC pile more misery on FC United of Manchester.
At the start of the game the full-backs, particularly Cliff Moyo, were looking for the overlap and linking up with the wingers as Lewis Walters, a former player at Leeds United, crossed it into Rowan Liburd who headed the ball into the side netting.
But the Reds had a couple of chances from corners after 20 minutes of play but the accuracy of the pass wasn’t accurate enough as Joe Green managed to catch both of the crosses to avert the danger.
About 10 minutes after FC United had opportunities from set plays, the Lions showed them how it’s done as the man of the match Will Hatfield picked up the loose ball from a corner to break the deadlock. Hatfield’s goal appeared to boost his confidence as a couple of minutes later he attempted an ambitious overhead kick which landed just over the bar.
The Lions’ number 10 was now pressing high up the pitch and was effectively playing as a shadow striker as he picked up a through ball only for the shot to go off target.
In the 34th minute The Reds had a chance to counter attack and were looking for the equaliser just before the half time whistle but fortunately for the Lions the academy product Will Thornton was on hand to sniff out the danger.
Thornton also showed his quality at the back in added time of the first half after he tracked back to block a shot from The Reds’ number 9 Kurt Willoughby who thought he only had the keeper to beat.
In the second half, GAFC quickly doubled the score line to 2-0 as Liburd coolly rolled the ball into the bottom corner. Guiseley then switched their priority to the defence as they were forcing FC United out wide as the Lions’ back four caught the Reds’ attack offside on a number of occasions.
With about half an hour left on the clock, Guiseley AFC rounded off the perfect performance when Kingsley James completed a nice chip to Liburd who scored again to make the score line 3-0. The Reds’ captain Harry Winter shortly got booked for expressing his frustrations on his team’s overall performance.
Liburd could’ve bagged himself a hat-trick when he found himself one on one with Dave Carnell but shot straight at the keeper. With about five minutes remaining, it was evident that Guiseley were now planning on seeing the game out. But it almost lost them a clean sheet as Joel Logan’s tame shot at goal was initially spilled by Joe Green which nearly caused the former Lion Liam Dickinson to pounce on his mistake for a tap in, however Green managed to regain possession of the ball just in time in what was the most hair-raising moment for the Lions’ supporters in the game.
The result means that GAFC have moved up to a respectable 10th place and only two points from the playoffs after the first 10 games, whereas FC United of Manchester remain firmly locked in a relegation battle after conceding an alarming 23 goals since the start of the season.
