Despite having had the home side watched four times, the Lions went the same way as BSN compatriots Boston United as Skelmersdale defied the visitors’ dominance of possession to grab two second-half goals and put themselves into the hat for Monday’s Third Round draw.

Guiseley opened strongly, Gavin Rothery’s effort from Rhys Meynell’s cross going wide. When Rothery was fouled on the left, Sam Ashton did well to punch away the resulting free kick. Mark Jackson was a whisker away from converting the home side’s first opening, and when Gary Burnett found himself one-on-one with Steve Drench it was the ‘keeper who came out on top. Josh Wilson then had a trio of openings, the first a cross-cum-shot that had Ashton scrambling to keep the ball out and when a Kevin Holsgrove flick-on put the striker in his shot was high and wide. His last and best opening should have given the Lions the lead but his header from five yards out was straight at Ashton.

The  second half opened with with James Walshaw replacing Wayne Brooksby but to no avail. A free kick from the right was turned into his own net by Jack Rea on 59 minutes, and United doubled their lead with two minutes remaining when substitute Adam Morning found acres of space in midfield to advance and hit a left-foot shot across Drench into the top corner. Prior to that, Guiseley had seen a goalmouth scramble nearly bring an equalizer but it was not until after the second goal that they finally tested Ashton, only to find the home custodian more than up to the job.

Team:

1 – Drench

2 – Clarke

3 – Meynell

4 – Rea

5 – Ellis

6 – Pearson (Dale 80)

7 – Brooksby (Walshaw 46)

8 – Holdsworth (Captain)

9 – Holsgrove

10 – Wilson

11 – Rothery

12 – Walshaw

14 – Parkinson

15 – McWilliams

16 – Dale

18 – Giles