The fact that ex-Guiseley keeper John Lamb was the man-of-the-match says all you need to know about this evening’s west Yorkshire derby at Nethermoor where Avenue triumphed by two goals to nil.
The goals came courtesy of a Richard Marshall penalty on the stroke of halftime before Louie Swain took advantage of a Steven Drench parry from Chib Chilaka’s cross with ten minutes remaining.
In between times, the Lions opened with some scintillating football in the first ten minutes but then lost Danny Ellis to an injury before the returning Spencer Harris slotted in at centre-back.
Michael Burns’ free kick from twenty yards out drifted past everyone and just the wrong side of the post as the Lions looked to capitalise on their possession and the midfielder then delivered a cross for debutant Alex Johnson to get his head on – only to see Lamb tip his effort round the post at full stretch.
Chilaka set up Nathan Hotte, but a timely intervention by Ible denied the visiting captain, with Ible then dismissed for a foul in the six yard box before Marshall slotted home the resulting penalty to give the visitors the lead on 44 minutes. But there was just enough time remaining for Michael Burns to join the others in the referee’s notebook.
The lively Johnson was tripped in the area shortly after the restart but Guiseley appeals fell on deaf ears and Wayne Brooksby also went into the notebook. At the other end Davidson hit the bar with a free kick whilst Michael Potts was cautioned together with Jordan Deacey.
Johnson stung the hands of Lamb and the keeper came to his side’s rescue on three more occasions, punching away dangerous crosses as the Lions piled on the pressure but Avenue eventually exploited the gaps at the back and Swain put the game beyond the home sides each on eighty minutes; and Ross Daly found himself the latest player to be shown a yellow card shortly afterwards.
Despite an additional five minutes being added the weary home side were unable to claw back the two goal deficit leaving them still looking to register their first win of the post-Kittrick era.
On the evidence of this evening’s performance, it will not be long in coming, for despite having played the whole of the second half with ten men and having lost both centre backs, they looked far more accomplished than on Saturday at Boston, with Mark Bower pleased with his side’s showing.
Mark Bower post-match interview
Jake Lawlor (Blue Octopus man-of-the-match) post-match interview
Team:
1-Drench
2-Rea
3-Meynell
4-Potts
5-Ellis (Spencer 11)
6-Ible (sent off 44)
7-Wayne Brooksby
8-Jake Lawlor
9-Alex Johnson (Hobson 82)
10-Michael Burns (Priestley 84)
11-Gavin Rothery
12-Spencer Harris
14-Craig Hobson
15-Phil Marsh
16-Adam Priestley
17-Zak Dale
