Read our match report sponsored by BuildADrive.com to find out how league leaders Gloucester maintained their unbeaten start to the season with two quick-fire second half goals seeing Guiseley slip to second from bottom of the table with four points from five games.

Following the midweek humbling by Darlington, management rang the changes with Nathan Newall, Isaac Currie, Kian Harratt and Andy Kellett starting, Brad Nicholson and Dan Cowan dropping to the bench, while Jonathan Wafula was out through injury

In a fairly even first half the game started at a frenetic pace as Guiseley started brightly with Newall putting in a telling cross that found no takers.

Visiting goalkeeper Louie Moulden did well to block Kian Harratt’s shot and Johnson got his head to another Newall cross but couldn’t find the target.

City then had a touch of fortune when in attempting to clear the ball Moulden’s throw hit Harratt on the head but luckily for the City keeper the rebound drifted away from goal.

Matt McClure hit the post from close in and Ben Morgan’s free kick flashed across the six yard box without anyone getting anywhere near it when it just required a touch to put the Tigers ahead.

The Lions best chance of the half fell to Newall when a long ball out of defence found him as he beat the offside trap but as he bore down on Moulden the City custodian spilled his effort and had Daly to thank for putting it behind for a corner.

Whatever was said in the visitors dressing room at halftime certainly had the desired effect as first Brad Wade pulled of a tremendous stop from Daly’s header three minutes in but he could do nothing a minute later when McClure beat him from twelve yards for what looked like a soft penalty ward for an alleged foul on Akwasi Asante by Mark Howarth who was booked for his trouble.

Three minutes later the Asante doubled the Tigers lead as he powered home a loose ball at the far post after the home defence had failed to clear a City corner.

Guiseley responded to the two goal deficit by introducing the National League Young Player of the Month Lewis Hey and Dan Cowan came on for Howarth and Currie, which nearly had the desired effect as Gabriel Johnson’s shot was saved by Moulden at the second attempt.

The impressive Andy Kellett left the field shortly after to be replaced by Adam Haw who was making his first team debut.

Two bookings for a couple of cynical fouls put the visitors on the back foot as Bencherif headed Hey’s searching cross wide of the mark and then with three minutes of normal time the Lions were given a sliver of hope as Prince Ekpolo was the victim of an attempted scissor kick clearance from Dawson who received a second yellow and a red card for dangerous play.

Mbeka stepped up to beat Moulden from the spot to revive the Lions’ hopes of grabbing a draw and with the four minutes of added time George Cantrill had an effort cleared off the line.

But in the end, it the Tigers showed why they sit top of the pile with a thoroughly professional performance while the  absence of Kaine Felix and Wafula leaves the Lions bereft of a cutting edge up front.

Russ O’Neill’s post match thoughts

Team:

1-Brad Wade

2-George Cantrill

3- Nathan Newall

4-Mark Howarth (55′ Hey)

5-Hamza Bencherif (C)

6- Isaac Currie (55′ Cowan)

7- Andy Kellett (74′ Haw)

8-Prince Ekpolo

9- Kian Harratt

10-Lebrun Mbeka

11-Gabriel Johnson

Subs:

12- Dan Cowan

14-Lewis Hey

15-Jack Ryan

16- Brad Nicholson

17-Adam Haw