If Guiseley are to retain their National League status then they are going to have to deliver far better performances than the one that saw Wrexham take all three points back to the Principality courtesy of a goal in either half by Chris Holroyd and Shaun Pearson.
The visitors looked lively in the first half as they showed all of the qualities that the Lions strive for in terms of fluid football that creates opportunities.
All of which were evident as the visitors capitalised on yet another Guiseley defensive clearance that had been hoofed aimlessly up field, the ball eventually Holroyd for him to round Luke Coddington and slip home despite Victor Nirennold’s attempts to keep the ball out on 16 minutes.
Centre back Pearson then effectively killed the game off on 71 minutes when he was left completely unmarked at the back post from a corner swung in from the left allowing him to convert the easiest of headers.
Holroyd had gone close prior to the visitors taking the lead but pulled his effort wide and home debutant Coddington did well to keep out Sam Wedgbury’s snap shot on the turn
Second half scorer Pearson also had a header cleared off the line as Wrexham looked to double their advantage before the break.
In contrast the Lions sole reply came from Alex Ray-Harvey’s cross-field pass that found Dayle Southwell down the right-hand channel but his ball across the six-yard box was just in front of James Roberts and the chance was gone.
Nirennold put a header just over and Rowan Liburd was denied by a last ditch tackle as the home side offered more of a challenge in the second half but once again the failure to keep tabs on opponents at set pieces gifted Pearson his goal.
The significance of the result is that while Wrexham leapfrog Macclesfield to take over the top spot, the defeat and Torquay’s 3-1 win over fellow stugglers Barrow leaves the Lions bottom of the table, nine points from safety with sixteen still left to play. And with just one game in hand on most of the clubs around them the team now needs results and fast.
Team:
1 Coddington
12 Southwell (Liburd 74)
15 McFadzean
36 Harvey
28 Lenighan
19 Odejayi (Fondop 60)
29 St Ledger
38 Crookes
39 Roberts (Haworth 74)
40 Flowers
42 Nirennold
Subs:
5 Palmer
17 Purver
30 Fondop
31 Haworth
35 Liburd
