Guiseley progressed through to the second round of the West Riding County Cup with a resounding 10-1 victory over Ilkley Town, writes Simon Bullock.
Despite the final score it was Ilkley who fired the first warning shot inside the first 60 seconds, after Nick Brayshaw’s shot from the edge of the area was well saved by Brad Wade and put behind for a corner.
It didn’t take the Lions long to open the scoring however, as with eight minutes on the clock Danny Devine did well to keep the ball in play on the left-hand side before putting the ball into the penalty area to find Gabriel Johnson, who flicked home his first of the night.
Two minutes later Liam Tongue’s team doubled their lead courtesy of an in-swinging Miguel Valsau corner that got a touch from Courtney Meppen-Walters on the way through.
Ilkley pulled a goal back soon after through Nathan Hunt whose low, powerful strike beat Brad Wade and found the bottom right corner.
It didn’t take the Lions long to respond though and on 21 minutes Tom Denton added a third after Prince Ekpolo did brilliantly to win the ball back in the final third. The midfielder played through Denton, who gently lifted his effort over Charlie Bell and into the top corner.
Guiseley’s fourth of the night came from Tom Pratt, who was lurking at the back post to tap home after Denton won the first contact from a Reece Kendall long throw.
The Lions fifth was something of a collectors item as Ekpolo drilled a shot into the bottom corner for his first goal for the club, after the ball dropped at his feet on the edge of the area as Ilkley tried to clear away a free kick.
A matter of seconds later, Johnson notched his second of the night having found himself through one-on-one with Bell and eventually got the better of the Ilkley goalkeeper for a tap in to make the score 6-1 on 37 minutes.
The Lions were to add one more before half-time when a free kick won by Miguel Valsau was taken quickly. Johnson was set away down the left and hung up a perfectly weighted cross to the back post where Denton was waiting to beat his marker in the air and send Guiseley into the break 7-1 to the good.
Ilkley held firm and defended resolutely for the first half of the second 45, until their resistance was broken by Denton who headed his hat-trick goal into the ground and bounced up into the top corner to give Bell no chance after a great Callum Chippendale cross down the right.
On 69 minutes Johnson joined Denton in scoring three goals, heading in from close range at the back post after a pinpoint delivery from a corner.
Not satisfied with a hat-trick though, Johnson grabbed a fourth goal prodding in from a couple of yards out after a lung-bursting run and cross from Ollie Brown who had burst forward from right-back to provide an attacking threat.
Ilkley came close to scoring a second in the final stages, but Wade, Kendall and Jameel Ible all stuck to the task to keep the visitors tally for the night at one.
After a minute of additional time, the referee brought the match to a close to send Guiseley through to the next round of the West Riding County Cup, with a 10-1 victory over Ilkley Town.
Guiseley 10-1 Ilkley Town | Tuesday 3rd October 2023 | Nethermoor Park
Attendance: 370.
Team: 1. Brad Wade, 2. Kyle Burrows (Brown 28’), 3. Reece Kendall, 4. Prince Ekpolo, 5. Jameel Ible ©, 6. Courtney Meppen-Walters (Stacey 63’), 7. Miguel Valsau, 8. Danny Devine (Chippendale 64’), 9. Tom Denton, 10. Gabriel Johnson (Murphy 79’), 11. Tom Pratt.
Subs: 12. Kallan Murphy, 13. Ollie Battersby, 14. Ollie Brown, 15. Joe Stacey, 16. Callum Chippendale.
