Guiseley Lionesses produced a dominant attacking display on Sunday afternoon as they swept aside Leeds City in an emphatic 7–2 away victory, writes Kevin Green.
The scoreline reflected not just their firepower up front, but also the collective strength and teamwork that defined their performance.
The opening quarter of an hour was lively, with both sides trading chances in an end-to-end contest. Despite Leeds showing energy in possession, it was Guiseley who settled more quickly and imposed themselves on the game. Their pressing high up the pitch and incisive passing soon paid off.
In the 14th minute, Demi Pringle delivered a pinpoint cross from the right flank, and Keegan Lambert timed her run perfectly to fire home an unstoppable finish, giving the Lionesses the lead. Moments later, Lambert was substituted due to a injury, with Alishba Khan coming on, but the rhythm of the team remained undisturbed.
By the 20th minute, Freja Evans went close with a powerful shot just wide, a warning of what was to come. A minute later, Pringle doubled the advantage, breaking free of her marker and calmly slotting past the keeper to make it 0–2.
Guiseley were relentless, creating chance after chance. On 30 minutes, Jade Foster picked out Pringle with an exquisite ball, but her shot drifted wide when it seemed easier to score. Still, the pressure mounted, and it told again in the 37th minute: Pringle’s initial effort was parried by the Leeds goalkeeper, only for Evans to react quickest and tap in the rebound for 0–3.
The goal of the half, however, came just before the break. In the 44th minute, Aleathia Smith unleashed a stunning strike from distance that arrowed into the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper rooted. A true screamer that capped a commanding first half with Guiseley leading 0–4.
Second Half
Guiseley began the second half in the same ruthless fashion. Within six minutes of the restart, Evans latched onto a through ball and slotted home her second of the game, stretching the lead to 0–5. A short break in play followed in the 54th minute as Smith received treatment, but she soon recovered to continue contributing in midfield.
At 66 minutes, Khan showed her creativity, linking beautifully with Heather Fisher, who finished clinically to make it 0–6. The Lionesses were playing with confidence and fluidity, stringing passes together and carving open Leeds City at will.
To their credit, Leeds continued to push forward, and Harriet Sutcliffe had to make an excellent save to deny a long-range strike. However, in the 80th minute, the hosts finally found a way through with a thunderous effort from outside the box, reducing the deficit to 1–6 and giving their supporters something to cheer.
Guiseley rotated their squad in the closing stages, with Demrae Wisher making way for Smith and Pringle coming off for Evans, ensuring plenty of players got valuable minutes. Evans almost grabbed another in the 88th minute, firing narrowly over the bar.
Leeds added a second goal deep into stoppage time, capitalising on a rare mistake as Sutcliffe’s initial save fell kindly for a simple tap-in to make it 2–6. But Guiseley had the final word: in the 94th minute, a slick passing move involving six players ended with Emily Gill finishing clinically to round off a superb team goal. The final whistle blew soon after, confirming a 2–7 victory.
This was an outstanding all-round performance from Guiseley Lionesses. From the energy in midfield to the sharpness up front and the resilience at the back, every player contributed to what was an emphatic win. Goals were spread across the team, and the attacking combinations highlighted both quality and unselfish teamwork.
Lambert 14’, Pringle 21’. Evans 37’, 51’, Smith 44’, Fisher 66’, Gill 94’
