Impressive Guiseley keep their play-off hopes alive

The hosts had the first chance as Chris Sang forced Leamington keeper Jake Weaver into a smart save at point-blank range.

It was a stop-start match during the opening 20 minutes, with few opportunities being created. Jack Storer started and nearly finished a good move for Leamington, but his effort was well blocked.

In added time Guiseley would take the lead, as Gabriel Johnson found Andrai Jones with a clever pass and he was able to beat the keeper with a header, to make it 1-0.

The home side continued their momentum and were 2-0 up just after half-time, when Prince Ekpolo made a fine run and found Kaine Felix who produced a fine driving effort to beat Weaver and double Guiseley’s lead.

The Lions would continue to control play in the second half but there were few chances being created by either side.

Leamington tried to halve the deficit late on as Connor Taylor saw an effort on-target saved by Brad Wade.

The visitors would then have one last chance as Jack Lane headed Stephen Morley’s cross wide.

With time running out, Guiseley scored a penalty in added time with Jamie Spencer scoring from the spot to seal the victory for the home side.

Joint-manager Russ O’Neill was delighted with the result and performance when he spoke after the match.

He said: “We knew it was going to be a tough game, they got a good result against King’s Lynn during the week.

“We scored some good goals and that keeps us right in the mix for a top-seven finish, we can we be really pleased.”

Guiseley are back in action tonight, when they face Harrogate Town away from home in the West Riding County Cup semi-final.

Farsley Celtic have now won just one of their past seven home games following their 2-1 defeat to visiting Hereford.

Tom Owen-Evans’ volley gave the Bulls an early lead and Kelsey Mooney tapped in to make it 2-0 midway through the second half.

A Mooney free-kick also rattled the frame of the home goal, before Will Hayhurst curled in a dead-ball opportunity of his own to reduce the deficit.

It was the visitors who went closest to adding further to the scoreline, however, with Chris Atkinson clearing off the line in stoppage time.

Bradford Park Avenue enjoyed their first victory in exactly three months following a 2-1 home triumph over promotion-hopefuls Chester.

Tom Clare gave Avenue the lead on 40 minutes when he bundled the ball in after his initial effort from Ryan Toulson’s cross had come back of an upright.

The visitors equalised direct from a Matty Waters corner, but Oli Johnson sealed the rare victory on 66 minutes when he headed in a long throw from Lewis Knight.

Elsewhere, leaders York City got back to winning ways with a a 3-1 win at Alfreton.

Sean Newton struck from two set-pieces to join Alex Kempster on the Minstermen’s scoresheet and, in between, a dead-ball delivery from the right was cleared off the line.

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Harrogate Town’s destiny would have shifted into their own hands had they managed to hang on to a 1-0 lead in yesterday evening’s live televised clash with Bromley at the CNG Stadium.

But a late Alex Bradley own goal cancelled out Jack Diamond’s 47th-minute opener to leave Town four points behind leaders Barrow, who went down 2-0 at home to Notts County earlier on.

Had they been able to see out the game and register a sixth straight victory, Harrogate would have moved to within one win of the Bluebirds, whom they still have to play at home during the final weeks of the campaign.

“When you concede any late goal, it’s always disappointing, but we’re a point closer to the top of the league than we were at the start of play,” reflected Town assistant-manager Paul Thirlwell.

“It’s a really exciting time to be at the club, we are down in the sense that we haven’t got the result, but we’ve just said to the lads that even though it feels like a defeat, we’ve got another point on the board, and that’s how we have to look at it.

“It’s a great place to be, so we’ll roll our sleeves up and go again.”

Josh Falkingham came closest to opening the scoring during a largely uneventful first half, the Town skipper’s dipping volley thudding against the cross-bar just moments before the interval.

The hosts did however manage a breakthrough two minutes after the resumption, Jack Muldoon’s cross eventually breaking for Diamond to fire past Ryan Huddart.

Having kept the deficit at one goal, Bromley then snatched a share of the spoils in the 87th minute when Ryan Coulson’s corner was diverted into his own net by substitute Bradley.

“It’s not a pleasing goal. I’m sure it doesn’t look great when we look back at it, but we kind of took a backwards step,” Thirlwell added.

“We gave too many free-kicks away and allowed too many balls to come into our box, and inevitably, if you do that too much something like that [Bromely’s equaliser] can happen.”

Elsewhere, an out-of-sorts FC Halifax Town slumped to a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Woking at The Shay.

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A TWO-GOAL salvo from Vaughan Redford ultimately didn’t prove enough for Pontefract Collieries who had to settle for a 2-2 draw with Trafford in the BetVictor North West Division yesterday.

Redford netted before half-time only for Max Hazeldine to equalise. Redford’s second goal soon followed but the visitors grabbed a point when Joel Amando netted on 76 minutes.

Pontefract stay in fourth place – 16 points behind leaders Workington but with six games in hand. Tadcaster Albion now sit five points behind the play-off zone in sixth following a 1-0 defeat at Marine.

Tenth-placed Brighouse Town were defeated 3-1 at Workington with Reece Kendall scoring for Town in the second half.

Ossett United came from behind twice to claim an excellent 2-2 draw at home to Marske.

Tom Greaves and Carl Clarkson scored the goals which moved United seven points clear of the drop zone.

A last-minute goal condemned basement-side Pickering Town to a 3-2 defeat at Widnes. Ryan Cooper and Nathan Perks saw Town recover from 2-0 down to equalise before Jamie Rainford won it for the hosts.

In the South East Division, Nyle Blake netted a brace in Frickley Athletic’s 5-0 victory at Lincoln United.

In the Northern Counties East League Premier Division, Alfie Raw scored a hat-trick in second-placed Liversedge’s 6-0 home win over Albion Sports. The other goals came from Joe Walton and Oliver Fearon (2).

Fourth-placed Yorkshire Amateur were 1-0 victors over Grimsby Borough with Matthew Dempsey scoring the winner while Daniel Thirkell, Robert Youhill and Luke Robinson all netted in Knaresborough Town’s 3-0 home win over Staveley MW.

In Division One, Selby Town dropped to second place after their 2-0 home defeat to new leaders Winterton Rangers.