Finalists for the last three years, Guiseley exited this season’s West Riding County Cup at the semi-final stage this evening, beaten 2-1 by Eccleshill United.
The Lions’ makeshift side never really recovered from conceding two early goals and, even though captain for the night Michael Potts pulled one back midway through the first half, the visitors rarely looked as though they would square matters.
From the off the home side took the play to the Lions, and from their very first attack Charlie Flaherty was allowed to drift across the six-yard box and shoot past Steve Dickinson for the opener with just three minutes on the clock.
Marcus Edwards then latched on to a wayward ball played across the Guiseley back four to slot the ball into the corner and double the home side’s advantage on ten minutes.
When the Lions did finally threaten, keeper Ryan Smith clawed away Jameel Ible’s effort and then took the ball off Luke Porritt’s feet from Craig Hobson’s cross.
Kyle Harrison put a header just over before the break and Hobson limped off on the stroke of half-time with an ankle injury, to be replaced by Ryan Williams. Jack Rea also made a welcome return on the restart, replacing Oli Johnson.
Potts’s persistence eventually paid off as he netted from ten yards out to give the visitors hope after 70 minutes, although when Williams chased down a lost cause he found no-one on hand to convert his cross. And when the same player shot just wide minutes later it marked the end of the Lions’ hopes.
An exit at the penultimate stage will be a disappointment but it may prove a blessing in disguise for Mark Bower’s side, who now face eighteen league games in the space of nine weeks starting with Leamington’s visit to Nethermoor this Saturday.
Team:
1-Steve Dickinson
2-Ben Walker
3-Jameel Ible
4-Michael Potts
5-Kyle Harrison
6-Macaulay Parkinson
7-Danny Forrest
8-Danny Boshell (Lee, 80)
9-Craig Hobson (Williams, 45)
10-Oli Johnson (Rea, 46)
11-Luke Porritt
12-Callum Marshall
14-Jack Rea
15-Ryan Williams
16- Redmond Lee
18-Connor Crossley
