FA Trophy: Guiseley are banking on a good night at Nethermoor

With the fates having decreed that the Lions have not taken the field on home soil in two months since mid-December – everyone is keeping their fingers crossed that tonight’s Nethermoor replay with Dover Athletic will take place – with incoming gate receipts having been hit.

Cup progress would also ease the strain, with Guiseley able to book a quarter-final tie at Nantwich Town or Stourbridge if they triumph this evening.

Ahead of what he hopes will be his side’s first home outing of 2016, Bower said: “I think it is seven grand (prize money) for this one and it creeps up.

“Especially with the costs of going away and with so few home games, it is always nice to get such cash and it means a difference for us.

“The prize money would give us an extra game and a little bit of a gate and with the replay with Dover, hopefully given the fact that we have not played at home for such a long time will also mean a decent turnout.

“Everyone will be pushing for us and if we can get through, then you are not too far off the final and that’s the incentive for both sides.”

On the last-eight draw, he added: “I don’t think we have got the hardest draw. We got the hardest draw in this round with Dover, so we have got to get through that.

“If you get to the quarter-final, I think all teams will fancy their chances as lower-league teams have been beating those who are higher up.

“But with home advantage, ourselves and Dover will see it as an opportunity to play a lower-league team.”

Weather permitting, Guiseley will take the field on home soil for the first time in NINE weeks this evening, with the wait having been an epic and massively frustrating one for all and sundry.

Bower, whose side will hopefully end a run of eight successive away games in all competitions, said: “It just seemed that there has been no light at the end of the tunnel. We are actually lucky that we have had a couple of trophy replays as without those, it would have been longer.

“But I have said before that I don’t think the fixture list has been well thought out and it has been really poor on the part of the league.

“It’s been a difficult run.”