Photos courtesy of Alex Daniel
Guiseley came from behind to complete the league double over Nantwich Town with a 2-1 win at Nethermoor Park, after a Dabbers performance that Head Coach Gary Taylor-Fletcher labelled as ’embarrassing’.
Lewis Whitham had a sniff of a chance in the very first minute for Guiseley, doing the first of many cut insides from the left and curling over the bar.
But the Dabbers had started the stronger and an opening goal almost came in remarkable fashion. Right-back Aidy Roxburgh, on debut after signing on loan from Altrincham, started a charging run through multiple Guiseley challenges and into the box, but just lacked that finishing touch and Cameron Mason was able to save his shot easily.
The opener did follow, though. In the 9th minute, James Caton, who started on the right side, found himself in the left corner of the box with the ball at this feet after a smart touch from Byron Harrison, James turned and fired past Mason brilliantly to get his first Nantwich goal just 3 days after his birthday.
After that, the home side began to get a foothold in the game. Tom Booth, fresh from the news of his loan extension until the end of the season, saved from Callum Chippendale, and did very well to tip a Courtney Meppen-Walter header onto the bar from a corner.
A potential turning point happened in the 25th minute, Kallan Murphy led with his elbow and caught Jon Moran square in the face, a shocking challenge that somehow only brought a yellow card, and left Moran having to be subbed with a suspected concussion.
Booth then saved from Murphy to stop the ultimate injustice, before a scary moment where a bad bobble meant he swung and missed a kick out and saw the ball spin wide.
Guiseley got the equaliser they probably deserved on 38 minutes, Andy Kellet tucked the ball away from close range (pictured below) after Murphy had his own wild fresh air kick that saw the ball spin to his teammate.
Whitham almost completed the turnaround moments later, a perfectly timed challenge from Troy Bourne stopped a big goalscoring chance.
The tricky winger got his way just 2 minutes into the second half. The Dabbers hadn’t learned their lesson, he isolated his man one-on-one, cut inside and blasted past Booth to make it 2-1 (pictured below). Staff on the bench felt there may have been a Guiseley handball in the build up.
Murphy could have made it 3 on the hour mark after more good work from Whitham, but it was just played behind him.
Murphy had another half chance that was blocked away, before a rejig was enforced on the Dabbers again with Tom Scully forced off through injury.
Whitham was rampant, and the battle between him and Booth continued with two more Tom saves before Jameel Ible headed over from a corner, a part of the game they dominated from but weren’t able to take advantage.
Sub Angus Chapman charged through late on for Guiseley, the pitch opening up for him after Perry Bircumshaw was down with injury, Booth did excellently to dive at his feet and deflect the ball away.
The Dabbers’ last chance came in the last minute, a low corner routine was played to Caspar Hughes who was unlucky with how the ball bounced to him and got under it, and over it went and with it the game was over too.
Teams
Guiseley AFC: Cameron Mason, Kwame Boateng, George Smith, Ross Daly, Jameel Ible, Leigh Whelan, Lewis Whitham, Andy Kellet (Jake Cassidy, 79), Kallan Murphy (Ekow Coker, 89), Callum Chippendale (Angus Chapman, 79), Courtney Meppen-Walters
Subs not used: Lewis Gardner, Mohammed Qasim
Goals: Kellet (39), Whitham (48)
Nantwich Town: Tom Booth, Aidy Roxburgh (Ryan Morton, 74), Sean Lawton, Troy Bourne, Jon Moran (Perry Bircumshaw, 42), Caspar Hughes, James Caton, Oli Patrick, Byron Harrison, Tom Scully (Mwiya Malumo, 53), Adam Dawson
Subs not used: Jack Sherratt, Levi Chiduku
Goal: Caton (9)
Attendance: 634