FC United of Manchester 2 Guiseley 1 - Lions lose out after late drama in FA Cup

The hosts took the lead with 20 minutes gone from the spot, after Hamza Bencherif fouled Regan Linney in the box and Charlie Ennis who had a spell with The Lions a number of years ago confidently placed his effort in.

Guiseley got back on level terms before the break - with the heavy rain getting an assist when a back-pass got stuck in the sodden pitch and Jonathan Wafula took full advantage curling his effort past the hosts’ keeper and in.

An end-to-end start of the second half resumed with FC United looking much brighter and Dan Cockerline was found in the area from a cross but his header towards goal lacked power and was saved by Brad Wade.

Kian Harratt who joined Guiseley on a youth loan from Huddersfield Town before the game, on his debut saw a rising effort go over the bar when he was well placed.

A well-worked move by FC United saw Adam Dodd take possession on the angle, he created room for himself and saw his effort hit the side-netting.

Time was running out and both teams pushed forward in the search of a winner and luck was on the hosts side, with Wade wrong-footed by a Fin Sinclair-Smith strike that found the back of the net.

Guiseley will be looking to bounce back as they face Boston United in the league away from home on tonight.

Speaking after the game, joint-manager Marcus Bignot said: “It’s a difficult one to take, we had chances and just didn’t take them in the end they have got their goal and that’s what matters. The key now is to ensure our confidence is not knocked too badly and we start again after this.”

A goal in each half from Darius Osei and Robert Briggs sealed a miserable afternoon for FC Halifax Town who bowed out of the FA Cup – 2-0 at South Shields.

Marske United missed out on creating club history by reaching the first round proper despite making a dream start at Brackley.

Matty Tymon tapped in after an Adam Boyes header had been saved but, by the first half’s midway point, the tables had been turned courtesy of a 20-yard Tre Mitford strike and a Lee Ndlovu effort that crashed in off the bar.

On the half-hour mark, Ndlovu rounded Ryan Catterick for a third home goal and second-half strikes from Mitford and Jimmy Armson consigned Marske to a 5-1 defeat.

In National League North, Bradford Park Avenue lost 3-1 at Kettering.

The visitors, who haven’t kept a clean sheet since last December, trailed 3-0 after 35 minutes.

First, Ben Stephens spotted Dan Atkinson off his line and found the top corner from distance before Josh Scott claimed a couple of headers following a Ben Milnes corner and Connor Kennedy’s long throw.

A minute into the second half, Oli Johnson blasted in after Nicky Clee’s corner was only half-cleared, but it failed to trigger an Avenue comeback.

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“I don’t know how we’ve lost that game” was Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver’s immediate reaction to Saturday afternoon’s 2-1 League Two defeat at Colchester United, writes RHYS HOWELL.

The Sulphurites created enough chances during the first period to have been out of sight by the interval but, having failed to convert any of them, were then hit by a quick-fire double-salvo early in the second half.

Substitute Jon Stead pulled one back with a header from a corner shortly after the hour-mark, though that was as good as it got for Town, who began the weekend within touching distance of top spot, but drop two places to sixth as a result of just their second league loss since promotion.

“It’s really frustrating because I thought we were the dominant team for the vast majority of the game,” Weaver reflected.

“Five minutes of madness after half-time, where a deflected goal and a sloppy second goal when we were too stretched when we needn’t be, have cost us.

“We should have been going in at half-time probably 4-0 up and still we had a lot of possession, a lot of chances, but we just weren’t cut-throat enough by any stretch.

“I’m very pleased between the boxes, when we were on the ball we were carving them open and I can’t fault the players’ energy at all, and their creativity, but a big part of the game is putting the chances away. You’ve got to put teams to bed.

“The last few wins have been by one goal, and we deserve to have had wins by more convincing scorelines.

“Today, I don’t know how we’ve lost that game.”