Guiseley overcame a plucky Atherton Collieries side with goals from aided by an own goal, two from Kaine Felix and a debut goal for Howarth read more in our match report sponsored by BuildADrive.com.
Under a grey sky and an incessant downpour it was the visitors who started strongly against a Lions side playing their first competitive game of the season.
With both sides making light of the conditions underfoot, Guiseley gradually began to find their men and none more so than in the 14th minute when Lebrun Mbeka’s short pass found Kaine and although Danny Lafferty got a tackle in the loose ball was picked up by Gabriel Johnson and played it inside to Felix who turned and squeezed the ball beyond Danny Taberner and just inside the post for the opener.
The reply from Atherton was almost immediate as Brad Wade parried Elliot Rokka’s low drive before the same player then put a looping header just over the bar.
Jordan Darr was denied by a timely tackle that sent the ball behind for a corner and Wade had to be alert as he punched away Rokka’s cross-cum-shot from an acute angle.
Felix had tested Taberener in between times but the Lions looked happy to be going in one-nil up at the break.
Darr put a shot over the bar on the resumption but the visitors were undone nine minutes into the second half when Prince Ekpolo fed Mbeka and his cross, which was intended for Johnson, was sliced into his own net by Vinny Bailey as he attempted to put the ball behind for a corner.
As with the first goal Collieries went on the offensive straight away and Clive Smith went close with a header just over the bar from a corner.
However, in pushing forward Atherton were always in danger of being caught on the counter and so it proved with fourteen minutes remaining as Howarth’s intelligent ball down the right channel set Felix free to outpace Rick Smith, round Taberner, and slot home to effectively put the tie beyond the visitors.
But proving that they were still up for the fight, Collieries forced four successive cornes the last of which was cleared off the line before the the Lions put the icing on the cake courtesy of Howarth’s left foot shot into the bottom corner in the last minute after he had latched on to a headed clearance.
Post match interview with Russ O’Neill:
Team:
1. Brad Wade
2. George Cantrill
3. Brad Nicholson
4. Mark Howarth
5. Hamza Bencherif (C)
6. Dan Cowan
7. Kaine Felix (80′ Ryan)
8. Prince Ekpolo
9. Lebrun Mbeka
10. Matty Gillam (80′ Wafula)
11. Gabriel Johnson (80′ Currie)
Subs:
12. Lewis Hey
13. Hagie Damba (GK)
14. Isaac Currie (80′ Johnson)
15. Jonathan Wafula (80′ Gillam)
16. Paul Clayton
17. Jack Ryan (80′ Felix)
18. Nathan Newall