The heroics of Saturday were quickly forgotten as the Lions missed the chance to close the gap on Hyde when they could only manage a draw at lowly Vauxhall Motors yesterday evening. Following a tepid first-half display which saw them go in a goal behind, an improved second-half performance and Chris Senior’s equaliser ensured a share of the points.
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With Saturday’s hat-trick hero James Walshaw missing through illness the only change was on the bench where Joe O’Neill took the striker’s place. Motors suffered a setback in the third minute when left back Les Dames pulled up short and had to be replaced by John Lawless.
After some largely midfield sparring the home side opened the scoring on 26 minutes when Craig Mahon got the better of Ciaran Toner to deliver a cross from the byline for the unmarked Liam Wynn to power a header past Steve Drench. Struggling to get a grip on the midfield, the Lions’ best efforts came from a Toner shot that was parried by Scott Tynan and a Simon Baldry attempt that flashed across the face of goal before going behind.
The visitors came out for the second half in a more determined mood and eventually reaped the reward for some sustained pressure when a corner was only half cleared and Senior volleyed home from just inside the area through a ruck of players in the six-yard box. Danny Boshell then played a pass inside for Dave Merris to cross but Baldry’s looping header came back off the crossbar.
Leighton McGivern had proved a handful for the Lions’ defence all night and provided one or two scares as the clock wound down, bringing a good block from Dave Merris before surprisingly being subbed late on. Despite bringing on Danny Forrest and O’Neill for Lee Ellington and Andy Holdsworth – and the home side’s being reduced to ten men with Mattie Burke’s dismissal – Guiseley were unable to carve out the opening that would have seen them take all three points and move second in the table.
Team: Drench, Clarke, Merris, Toner, Ellis, Ainge, Baldry, Boshell, Ellington (Forrest 76), Senior, Holdsworth (O’Neill 88)
Subs not used: Bower, Burns, Giles
