Guiseley 3-0 Hinckley United
Guiseley opened the new campaign with a comprehensive win against a Hinckley United side who offered little resistance.
Gavin Allott, who notched his first Guiseley goal yesterday, in action against Gateshead.So little, in fact, that home keeper Steve Drench had little to keep him occupied whilst at the other end visiting keeper Dan Haystead saved his side from an even bigger defeat, denying Lee Ellington a hat-trick in the process. Even he could do little to stop the three classy strikes from Danny Boshell, Ciaran Toner and Gavin Allott (pictured) that proved to be the difference between the two sides.
The warning signs were evident after just ten minutes when defender Danny Ellis curled a shot past Haystead only for it to strike upright while Ellington also pulled a good opportunity just wide. Gavin Rothery brought a good save from the United stopper before he was then caught in no-man’s land as Simon Ainge lofted a ball over the visitors’ advancing back line for Boshell to latch on to and deliver a perfect chip over the keeper.
Joe O’Neill and Rothery were both foiled by last-ditch interventions while Haystead twice denied Ellington. Eventually Toner ended a sweeping move, stroking the ball into the top corner from 18 yards after Danny Forrest’s clever feint. Substitute Gavin Allott wrapped it up, rising above a static defence to score with a classic glancing header into the far corner.
Speaking after the game, manager Steve Kittrick said: “We just said to keep pecking away at them and to keep doing the good things. We’re a good, strong side and thats what we did. It was inevitable that we’d break through eventually’
Kittrick also revealed he was pleased to have three different player get on the score sheet including debut goals for Ciaran Toner and Gavin Allott.
Kittrick said: “If Allott gets ten, Rothery gets ten and O’Neill gets ten and they all chip in with ten apiece, whereas last year we were relying on one person, it proves that this season we won’t need to rely on one man. We’ll be able to get goals from elsewhere. Gavin Allott has got a lot to learn as he’s not played at this level before. He’s a rough, raw centre forward but you can see what he can do – it was a great header and he’s quite quick for a big lad”
Entertainment value: ****
Lions’ star man: Danny Boshell
Teams: Guiseley – Drench, Clarke, Merris, Toner, Ellis, Ainge, O’Neill, Boshell, Ellington (Allott 74), Forrest, (Booker 87), Rothery (Burns 82); Subs not used: Bower, Giles
Hinckley United – Haystead, Oddy, Dudley, Meakin-Richards (Hodgson 71), McAughtrie, Richards-Everton, Lister, Kerry, Gray (Kolodynsky 85), Byrne (Newton 71), Hendrie; Subs not used: Holt
Scorers: Boshell 33, Toner 85, Allott 87
H/T 1-0
Referee: Glen Hart