Liam Needham’s header in the penultimate minute put Guiseley into the last sixteen and clinched a hard fought victory over a physical and robust Celtic side who came to stop the Lions playing; and nearly succeeded. Indeed had Craig Hobson not produced the miss of the season when he blazed over with the goal at his mercy minutes earlier could have produced a different outcome.
Although the home side enjoyed much the greater share of possession, like the League game back in November Stalybridge’s no-nonsense approach to defending their territory didn’t make it a game for the purists. In a close fought first half the visitors opened the scoring on the half hour when Connor Jennings’s got in front of home custodian Steven Drench to head home a free kick delivered in from the left.
The Lions were level ten minutes later courtesy of a James Walshaw penalty after Darryn Stamp’s deft header put Joe O’Neill in, having evaded Jan Budst he was tripped by Glen Rule, who as the last defender was shown the obligatory red card.
The only other efforts of note being Budst punching Warren Peyton’s free kick off O’Neill’s head and Callum Warburton curling a shot just round the post at the other end.
The second half saw Celtic determined to maintain the status quoi but two substitutions just after the hour changed the complexion of the game as O’Neill’s looping header came back of the bar with Budst beaten, Ryan Toulson fizzing a 20 yard screamer just wide and Simon Ainge’s powerful shot being stopped by Budst. In between time Danny Ellis cleared a Celtic effort off the line; Hobson made decidedly the wrong choice and Needham finally wrapped it up.
Entertainment value: ***
Star man: Liam Needham (Guiseley)
Guiseley: Drench, Toulson, Merris, Peyton (Rothery 68) Ellis, Ainge, O’Niell, Boshell, Stamp (Sharry 65) Needham Unused subs: Cotterill, Spivack, Martens
Stalybridge Celtic: Budst, Rule, Meynell, Ryan, Platt, Rea (Austin 90), Jennings, Warburton, Marsh (Davies), Hobson, Elams (Bembolleta 62) Unused subs: Kay, Buckley
H/T 1-1
Scorers: Guiseley – Walshaw 40 (P) Needham 89
Stalybridge: Jennings 30
Att: 417
Referee: Seb Stockbridge
