Guiseley extracted maximum revenge for their Boxing Day defeat as they toppled leaders Bradford (Park Avenue) at Horsfall with goals from Kayode Odejayi and Rowan Liburd cancelling out Oli Johnson’s equaliser to get the New Year off to the best possible start and in the process condemn BPA to their first home defeat since October 2018.
Kaine Felix dropped to the bench to make way for the returning Cliff Moyo and Odejayi and Scott Smith partnered Liburd up front while after his assured performance on Saturday Marcus Dewhurst, on loan from Sheffield United, continued between the sticks.
In a first half where both sides had a smattering of chances it was the Lions were first to threaten but Will Thornton was unable to get any meaningful direction on Andy Halls’ cross.
Alex Hurst then put a header just wide for the hosts at the other end and former Lions favourite Johnson shot straight into the midriff of Dewhurst.
Boxing Day’s hat trick hero Jake Beesley also went close and then saw his glancing header from a long throw in bring a superb fingertip save from Dewhurst.
With the clock ticking down towards the break the Lions were awarded a free kick halfway inside Bradford (Park Avenue’s) half which Alex Purver floated in for Odejayi to squeeze a header between Steven Drench and the post for the opener on 45 minutes.
Dewhurst came to his sides rescue to deny Beesley again early in the second period but the home side would not be denied as Will Hatfield caught Ryan Toulson and from the resulting free kick Johnson forced home the equaliser with twenty minutes remaining.
But with the Guiseley back line keeping Beesley, Johnson and Lewis Knight relatively quiet the home side were struggling to make an impact on the game and it was no surprise when they conceded a second barely a minute after Johnson had levelled.
The goal came from one of Niall Heaton’s trademark long throws that a clutch of players around the penalty spot until Liburd delivered an audacious back heel to send the ball past a bemused Drench to restore the Lions’ lead.
Eight minutes later it went from bad to worse for Avenue as a melee involving several players pushing and shoving resulted in a yellow card for Heaton and a second booking and mandatory red card for Jamie Spencer.
The visitors then deployed some of the game management tactics that Messrs O’Neill and Bignot have talked about to frustrate Avenue.
Although a third goal nearly resulted from Kingsley James hitting them on then break only to see Drench palm his effort away and when Liburd followed up his shot was deflected over the bar by a timely intervention from Mark Ross.
The win completes a four point haul over the festive period for the Lions that now sees sees them seven points clear of the drop zone and with two or three games in hand on the clubs around them while Chorley take over at the top courtesy of their 4-0 demolition of FC United of Manchester and BPA’s defeat.
Team:
1 Dewhurst
2 Moyo
3 Heaton
4 Purver
5 Thornton
6 Halls
7 Odejayi
8 James
9 Liburd
10 Hatfield
11 Smith (Felix 82)
Subs:
12 Felix
13 Green
14 Walsh
15 Walters
16 Clayton
