Guiseley maintained their recent good form to extend their unbeaten run to eight games and move up to tenth place as they cruised past second from bottom FC United of Manchester with goals from Man-of-the-Match Will Hatfield and a brace from Rowan Liburd giving them a winning margin that could have been doubled had they converted a few of the half chances that they created.
Playing from the back the Lions dominated the midfield battle until the closing stages, however, it was the visitors who had the first real opportunity but Harry Winter fluffed his lines from a good position.
After this early scare new signing Lewis Walters signaled the home sides intent as Liburd headed his cross just the wrong side of the post.
However, it wasn’t long before the Lions took the lead on 28 minutes with a routine straight off the training ground as a corner was played to Kingsley James just inside the area and Hatfield got the slightest of touches to divert the midfielders shot past Dave Carnell and his defenders for the opener.
Hatfield could the have had a second shortly after but pulled his shot-cum-cross across goal and wide with Liburd just a yard short of a conversion at the far post.
The home side then suffered a blow when home debutant Walters pulled up sharp and had to be replaced by Scott Smith.
but the game was to all intents over two minutes after the restart as Liburd robbed defender Steve O’Halloran and shot home from a tight angle into the far corner beyond Dave Carrell and a covering defender to double the home sides advantage.
The big striker then nearly grabbed his second but snatched at the opportunity after Carnell had parried a shot from James.
With the visitors rarely threatening the home goal the Guiseley midfield continued to probe and when a corner was cleared to Will Thornton he fed James who picked out Liburd at the far post for his second of the afternoon and the Lions third.
As the opportunities kept coming Smith did well to get on the end of a cross but couldn’t keep the ball down and Liburd showed his power to brush off Billy Priestley and deliver a fierce shot just over the angle.
United finally got their act together and Kurt Willoughby probably thought he had pulled one back only for the covering Thornton to clear off the line as the clock ticked down and the visiting fans started to head for the exits.
Team:
1 Green
2 Moyo (Kennedy 58)
3 Heaton
4 Purver
5 Thornton
6 Halls
7 Walters (Smith 36)
8 James
9 Liburd
10 Hatfield
11 Harvey (Hussain 88)
Subs:
12 Kennedy
14 Hussain
15 Smith
16 Clayton
17 Dyche
