Youthful Lions progress in County Cup

With both Guiseley and FC Halifax Town fielding a combination of squad and academy players it was the Lions who came out on top in the West Riding County Cup on Wednesday.

Mark Bower’s side scored three goals without reply against a Town side that included a late cameo appearance from manager Neil Aspin.

The game was, to all intents and purposes, over as a spectacle by half-time as the Lions went into the break courtesy of Nicky Boshell’s brace to add to Oli Johnson’s fourth-minute opener.

Having played a Conference fixture yesterday evening the Shaymen, like Guiseley, opted for a mixture of squad and academy players for what proved to be a keenly contested fixture. Steve Dickinson and Danny Forrest were the other two squad players in a Lions side that had six Academy players in the starting line-up plus four on the bench alongside Steven Drench.

The visitors were rocked back on their heels in Guiseley’s second attack as Redmond Lee turned his marker twice and found Oli Johnson, whose scuffed shot looped up over Phil Senior and into the net.

Dickinson made two crucial stops to deny the visitors an equaliser but two goals in a ten-minute spell midway through the half gave the Lions an unassailable lead.

First, Danny Forrest’s superb run and trickery set up the easiest of chances for Nicky Boshell on twenty minutes, then the latter turned Danny Schofield before shooting beyond Senior on 34 minutes.

Jack Stockdill brought two good saves from Senior and the impressive Redmond Lee also tried his luck on two occasions after the break but both  his attempts to lob the keeper were  foiled as was Lamar Lindo’s shot after he had managed to hold off two defenders.

As a result of tonight’s win, the Lions travel to Selby Town for a Second Round tie to be played in early November.

Post match interviews: Mark Bower and  Nicky Boshell

Team:

1-Steve Dickinson

2-Ben Walker

3-Joel Thompson

4-Aaron Fell

5-Josh Snowden

6-Callum Marshall

7-Oli Johnson 4 (Wells, 60)

8-Jack Stockdill (C)

9-Danny Forrest (Lindo, 54)

10-Nicky Boshell 24 & 34 (Pilkington, 60)

11-Redmond Lee

12-Will Wells

14-Lamar Lindo

15-Jonson Butterfield

16-Callum Pilkington

18-Steven Drench

 

Next Up:

3:00 pm
Pitching In Northern Premier League Premier Division

Leek Town vs Guiseley