Lions coast into Promotion Final

On a rain-sodden afternoon on the west coast, Guiseley delivered a thoroughly professional performance to secure their place in the Vanarama Conference North Promotion Final for the second successive season, goals from Danny Boshell and Andy Holdsworth cancelling out Richie Allen’s 20-second opener.

The game got off to a sensational start, the Lions’ defence seemingly still in the dressing rooms as Allen headed home totally unmarked, giving first-leg hero Steven Drench no chance.

But if Fylde thought it would be a portent of things to come, they reckoned without a Guiseley team determined to avenge last season’s Promotion Final heartache and carry on where they left off on Wednesday evening.

The home side went close again shortly afterwards but Drench showed once more why he is one of the top goalkeepers at this level, turning Adam Sumner’s fierce shot round the post.

Andy Holdsworth fizzed a free kick millimetres over the bar and several forays by the visitors eventually produced a reward as Danny Lowe’s tantalizing cross from the left was met by Danny Boshell, who placed a rare pinpoint header down and wide of Hinchcliffe to restore the Lions’ one-goal aggregate advantage on 32 minutes.

Twelve minutes after the restart, the game was as good as over as Adam Boyes’s lay-off to Oli Johnson saw OJ deliver the ball into the path of skipper Andy Holdsworth, who fired a screamer into the top corner to leave the home side with a mountain to climb.

It was a task they singularly failed to accomplish; such was the measured response from the visitors that they restricted Fylde to a series of half-chances in seeing the game out. Indeed, it was Johnson who went closest when he forced Hinchcliffe into a full-length save late on.

The result sees the Lions inflict a second successive defeat on a team that had gone ten games unbeaten to the end of the league season and it was also the Lions’ third win in four games against the Coasters this term, the other ending goalless.

The Lions will travel to Victory Park next Saturday for a showdown Final against Chorley, who overcame Boston United in a sudden-death penalty shoot-out after the sides had finished square at 2-2 after extra time.

Post match reaction from Mark Bower and  Ryan Toulson

Team:

1-Drench

2- Toulson

3-Lowe

4-Holdsworth (Capt) 57

5-Hall

6-Lawlor

7-Brooksby

8-D Boshell (N Boshell, 90+1) 35

9-Boyes (L Dickinson, 90,+2)

10-O Johnson

11-Rothery

Subs not used: A Johnson, Stockdill, S Dickinson

Fylde1 Support Players

 

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