The silky skills of substitute Oli Johnson paved the way for Guiseley to come from a goal behind and secure a vital win against a well-organised Colwyn Bay side – a victory that puts the Lions five points clear of sixth-placed Boston United with two left to play.
The first half was a fairly sterile affair with home custodian Steven Drench the busier of the two keepers, making telling stops from Jamie Crowther and Jamie Ellison and a brilliant point-blank save from Rob Hopley.
The home side struggled at times to make headway against the visitors’ four in midfield, who were sitting just in front of their back four in an effort to stifle the Lions’ creativity.
When they did breach the Welshmen’s defences, Adam Boyes provided two balls across the six-yard box that were crying out for someone to apply the finishing touch, but none came.
Danny Forrest put in a dipping shot that whistled the wrong side of the post just before the break, but that was the nearest the home side came to breaking the deadlock.
Manager Mark Bower reverted to two strikers on the restart, Forrest joining Boyes up top, but again it was Colwyn who went closer with Crowther’s speculative shot dropping just wide.
The game eventually came to life on 57 minutes when an innocuous-looking challenge in the home penalty area was adjudged to have been a foul, and Ellison stepped up to send Drench the wrong way from the penalty.
Oli Johnson replaced Forrest, and nine minutes later the Lions were level as he showed great footwork to dazzle two defenders before pulling the ball back from the bye-line for Boyes to strike on the half-volley and square matters.
Spurred on by their success, the home side launched a series of attacks and they were rewarded on 72 minutes when Wayne Brooksby floated in a free kick that was headed back into the mix by Danny Ellis – making his 400th appearance for the club – only for an attempted clearance to fall to Gavin Rothery, who rifled the ball past Chris Sanna and into the bottom corner.
Ellis was again the provider a couple of minutes later as his header set up Boyes, who was only denied by Sanna whipping the ball off his toes.
Rothery nearly grabbed his second late on, running half the length of the field before shooting a whisker wide of the target, and Boyes brought another good stop from Sanna as the Lions looked for a third.
Boston’s draw at Leamington gives Guiseley some breathing space, and a win on Monday at already-relegated Workington will see the Lions clinch a play-off place for a fourth successive season.
Listen to Mark Bower’s thoughts after the game:
Team:
1-Drench
2-Holdsworth
3- Meynell
4-Hall
5-Ellis
6-Lawlor
7-Brooksby
8-Boshell
9-Boyes 66
10- Forrest (Johnson (O), 60)
11-Rothery 72
12- Potts
14-Parker
15-Williams
16- Johnson (O)
18-Dickinson
