Guiseley kicked off their National League North campaign where they left off on Saturday with a second successive 4-0 win against one of last seasons strugglers – Blyth Spartans – read more in our match report sponsored by BuildADrive.com.
Goals from Lebrun Mbeka, Hamza Bencherif, Kaine Felix and Mark Howarth sealed a dominant performance from Guiseley with Blyth heavily indebted to goalkeeper Brendan Pearson for keeping the scoreline respectable as he pulled off a string of first class saves to deny the Lions.
The home side got off to the best possible start when Matthew Elsdon hauled down Felix in the area after just two minutes and Mbeka stepped up to dispatch the resultant penalty. The foul also earned Eldson a caution, a decision that would have dire consequences later in the game for Blyth.
Two minutes later it was Griffiths who nearly presented Gabriel Johnson with an opening as he hesitated on the edge of the area an his backpass was charged down by the Guiseley man but Pearson was able to smother and clear.
Pearson was again busy as he pulled off a superb stop to deny Mbeka a second goal and then used his feet to divert Brad Nicholson’s shot behind and there was only nine minutes on the clock!
The rampant Lions were giving the visitors all sorts of problems as a Bencherif header was caught by Peason before he stopped Howarth powerful drive.
Guiseley thought they had doubled their lead when Nicholson’s header from Howarth’s corner was cleared off the line, but despite the home claims that the ball was behind the whitewash, the linesperson was on the spot and signalled play on.
The lively Mbeka nearly grabbed a second and Pearson did well to save Nicholson’s free kick before Brad Wade was finally given something to do as he dealt with Olly Scott’s corner.
Felix and Jonathan Wafula both went close but Pearson was in imperical form, however, even he was powerless to deny Bencherif’s bullet header into the top corner from another Howarth corner just before the break.
Blyth replied with an attack of their own and only a last ditch tackle by Prince Ekpolo rescued the home side.
Aleady under the cosh, Spartans plight suffered a further setback two minutes after the restart when they were reduced to ten men after Elsdon was given a second caution and a mandatory red for pulling back Mbeka.
Peason resumed where he had left off in the first half, denying Nicholson and Mbeka in the process and the Lions left back then landed a cross-cum-shot on the roof of the net.
However, the home side were not to be denied as Felix latched on to Mbeka’s judicious pass set him free and slot the ball under the advancing Peason for the third on 55 minutes, which was no more than Guiseley’s all-out attacking play had deserved.
In a rare attack Scott found himself in a good position but summed up his teams performance on the night as he put his effort in to the car park.
Now constantly on the back foot, Blyth were undone once again by the impressive Howarth who collected a ball just inside the visitors half and advanced into the area before shooting past Pearson in to the bottom corner for the best goal of the night with twelve minutes left.
The home sides fluency was understandably interrupted by a triple substitution, but Ryan was just a whisker away from Matty Gillam’s deflected shot at the back post and Spartans’ hero Pearson pushed a thirty yard effort from Lions captain Bencherif behind in what proved to be virtually the last action of the evening as the home side ran out four-nil winners for the second succesive game.
Despite the emphatic win, Saturday’s opponents Boston United sit top of the table purely on alphabetical order as they won by the same score at Leamington, so is it too early in the season for a six pointer?
Team:
1. Brad Wade
2. George Cantrill
3. Brad Nicholson (71′ Hall)
4. Mark Howarth
5. Hamza Bencherif (C)
6. Dan Cowan
7. Kaine Felix (71′Gillam)
8. Prince Ekpolo
9. Lebrun Mbeka
10. Jonathan Wafula (71′ Ryan)
11. Gabriel Johnson
Subs:
12. Isaac Currie
14. Matty Gillam
15. Ashton Hall
16. Nathan Newall
17. Jack Ryan
