Guiseley picked up yet another pre season victory as goals from Liam Tongue and Miguel Valsau gave them a 2-0 victory over Oldham based side Avro FC, writes Cayden Sands.
The game was a quick turnaround following Saturday’s draw with Farsley Celtic, but this didn’t deter the team, who looked comfortable as they disposed of their opponents.
Following a cagey start in which neither side really had control of the game in the difficult conditions, the Lions managed to take the lead out of nowhere on 19 minutes after Tongue hit another pre-season screamer that flew over the Avro keeper and into the net to give the rain soaked away support something to cheer about.
After the goal, the common theme of the game returned as both teams struggled to take control of a game that saw very little in the way of big moments due to the conditions making both visibility and the artificial surface difficult to manage, a factor that continued all the way to half-time.
The second half began competitively, but this momentum was halted by a lengthy delay that resulted in a rare pre-season dismissal in the form of Jack Dyche, meaning the Lions had to play the remainder of the game a man down.
This didn’t deter Paul Phillips’ side however as following a strong team move in the 80th minute, Academy product Valsau found himself through on goal before easily beating the keeper and embracing the away support, giving Guiseley a clear advantage in the last 10 minutes.
The Lions would hold out for another victory as their league preparations continue, with their final friendly coming this Saturday as they travel to Brighouse Town.
Avro 0-2 Guiseley | Monday 31st July 2023 | Vestacare Stadium
Team: 1. Trialist A (64′ Damba), 2. Aiden Walker (55′ Burrows), 3. Reece Kendall (52′ Miller), 4. Leigh Whelan (46′ Trialist B), 5. Jameel Ible, 6. Josh Ashman, 7. Liam Tongue (C), 8. Bailey Conway, 9. Kallan Murphy (46′ Denton), 10. Laurence Sorhaindo (46′ Dyche) (64′ Valsau) and 11. Joe Stacey (73′ Pratt).
Subs: 12. Tom Denton, 13. Hagie Damba, 14. Tom Pratt, 15. Trialist B, 16. Jack Dyche, 17. K’Marni Miller, 19. Miguel Valsau and 20. Kyle Burrows.
