National League: Guiseley gain no respite as fixtures continue to pile up

The elements ensured that their National League weekend outing with Wrexham fell victim to the weather, but another divisional big-hitter in fifth-placed Tranmere Rovers are next up at Nethermoor this evening.

Manager Mark Bower, whose side lost out to a hotly-disputed James Norwood penalty in a 2-1 reverse at Prenton Park in November, is hoping his side can replicate that display on the Wirral – but with a different outcome. On the task facing his side against Rovers, who occupy the final play-off position, Bower said: “We gave a good account of ourselves away from home at Tranmere as we did at Wrexham – we were unlucky not to draw at Tranmere and unlucky not to win at Wrexham.

“Tranmere are on a decent run at the moment and they will be desperate to come to our place and win the game and hopefully we can maybe manage to pick them off.”

Guiseley – seventh from bottom and currently residing three places above the drop zone – still have work to do to reach the magical 50-point barometer which usually indicates safety.

And the Nethermoor chief admits that a couple of wins would go a long way towards achieving their seasonal aims of safety. Bower, whose side are currently four points clear of the side occupying the final relegation slot in Altrincham, added: “We have got ourselves in a position where if we get a couple of wins and a draw from three games, it will make a massive, massive difference for us.

“You look at one team and think they are okay. But then they go on a little bad run and get dragged back into it and it’s been all change. There will be twists and turns before the end of the season and that often happens. Teams put a run together and get out of it and others go on a run and drop into it, often from quite far up.

“But what we can’t do is look at other people’s results. We have just got to get on looking after our own. It is a question of if we do what we are capable of, then we will have enough to be comfortable going into the last few games.”