Guiseley 0 Barrow 1: Lions' relegation confirmed after home defeat

It was always going to be tough for the Lions and this defeat ensured they are back in the National League North after three years in the top tier of non league football.

After the game interim manager Sean St Ledger said: “Obviously I’m very disappointed with the relegation and the result as well, we just have to go and try and end the season on a high, with some victories.”

Former Leeds United junior Lewis Walters had the first significant opportunity for the visitors, when he hit an effort from just outside the area which curled towards the top right-hand corner, but lacked power and it was held by Joe Green.

With half an hour gone, there was a key chance for the Lions when Rowan Liburd worked his way into the area, his effort from inside the box beat Steve Arnold but went wide.

Barrow started the second-half well and took the lead on 51 minutes when a Donovan Makoma free-kick was headed home by skipper Asa Green.

The goal seemed to open the game up and the hosts nearly levelled when a cross took a couple of deflections and Liburd saw his effort beat Arnold but Calum McDonald somehow acrobatically cleared the ball off the line.

With time running out, Barrow’s Donovan Makoma was sent off for putting his hands to the face of Guiseley’s Calum McFadzean, but the Lions were unable to capitalise.

Despite being pitted in tense relegation battles in their two previous campaigns at National League level, Guiseley’s third season in the fifth tier of English football has unquestionably proved to be their most fraught.

The decision to bring forward plans to go full-time under Paul Cox last autumn dramatically backfired and despite a host of players being brought in on permanent deals, it failed to yield an upturn in results – quite the opposite in fact. Cox paid the price for a wretched run of form when he was sacked in February and despite an upturn in team spirit and togetherness and the bringing back into the fold of a number of part-timers who had previously been overlooked, relegation has been on the cards for a good while.