Guiseley 4

CHORLEY 0

AFTER two tough games against Chorley this season Guiseley manager Bobby Davison went back to the drawing board and with Lee Elam having defected to Southport it was a new look Guiseley side which came out for this encounter.

Elam - who had continually refused to sign a contract with Guiseley, initially so that he could continue playing Sunday socccer - elected to join the Vauxhall Conference side whose attention he had drawn after scoring nine goals in 18 games for the Nethermoor side this season.

Guiseley started out with a new look defence with Colin Hogarth moving back to the left-back position with Simon Phillips and Steve Hook forming a new central defensive role. Benn Gallgher moved up from left-back into midfield where he gave a forceful display alongside Andy Williams and Des Hazel with Colin Hunter playing as an out

and out attacker up front with Simon Parke and Mick Morrell.

Parke got in an early shot with little power before opening the scoring in the tenth minute following a brilliant ball out of defence by Steve Hook. The big defender produced a peach of a ball right into the path of Parke who went on to round 'keeper Simon Marsh and slip the ball into the net.

The 'keeper then had two attempts to hold Morrell's angled shot. Morrell's pace sometimes overtakes his skill and there were timesin this game when that was all too apparent.

Parke, almost back to full fitness after his recent bout of tonsillitis, had a shot blocked and then he produced a cross which just evaded Morrell.

Morrell then had a good chance but after beating two men he could not lift the ball over the 'keeper.

Gallagher and Chorley's Michael Knowles were both booked after a 35th minute altercation.

Guiseley continued to produce chances and a swerving drive from Hunter almost beat Marsh.

Parke then made it 2-0 in the 37th minute when he rose at the far post to head in Gallagher's corner despite there being a number of players on the goalline. It was Parke's 12th strike of the season.

Guiseley were producing some good football and they spread the ball wide whenever possible. When they came out for the second-half Parke was well marked by Darren Quick b ut he worked hard to pull his defender all over the field. Quick made a timely stop as Parke moved in hoping to complete his hat-trick.

Chorley produced a purple patch in which Colin Potts was prominent and his free-kick just missed the goal.

Morrell then provided Hunter with another chance but his shot was taken by Marsh. Peter Gick was booked for bringing the lively Hunter down.

After Parke had put a chance over the bar in the 65th minute he then produced an excellent pass to put Hunter in on goal and he scored from a tight angle with the ball going in off a defender on the line.

Steve Dickinson was called into action at the other end to tip over a Potts corner but Guiseley were not going to be outshone and they put together a ten man move which ended with a poor ball in from Hunter.

Parke got another chance to add to his tally when Gallagher lifted the ball into the area and the diving Parke headed over.

Gallagher then had a low, raking shot picked up by Marsh before Dickinson made an excellent save from Potts.

Colin Hogarth was replaced in the 83rd minute by former Sheffield Wednesday youth player Matthew Daly - now a Leeds University student.

The giant centre-back moved into the centre of defence with Phillips moving out to the left-back position.

A great effort by Parke was beaten away by Marsh for a corner and Daly gave notice of his intention to score when he headed the corner just over.

Morrell squandered another chance at the near post before substitute Ian Leather stopped Hunter with a bad foul for which he received a booking.

The free-kick was taken by Andy Williams - who had another commanding game for Guiseley. His effort was headed down by Parke and Daly lunged out a long leg to steer the ball in for Guiseley's fourth and final goal.

Guiseley.- Dickinson; Atkinson, Phillips, Hook, Hogarth (Daly 83 mins); Hazel, Williams, Gallagher; Morrell, Parke, Hunter. Subs not used - Egege, Airdrie.

Former Guiseley player James Proctor will return on loan from his club in the United States to cover the loss of Lee Elam.

Proctor has to have international clearance before he can play for Guiseley during his break from the American season in the Professional Soccer A League where he has been banging in the goals for Worcester Wildfires in Boston. James, a former apprentice with Bradford City, had a spell with Rochdale before joining Chorley and then moving on to Guiseley.

l On Saturday Guiseley visit Frickley Athletic and then on Tuesday travel to Spennymoor Unitd in the League Cup second round. Further cup action comes the following Saturday when Guiseley travel to the North East once again to take on Bishop Auckland in the second round of the FA Trophy.

The scheduled fixture at Marine on December 19 has now been replaced by a trip to Winsford.

On December 8 Guiseley will see further

cup action when they entertain Droylesden in the second round of the President's Cup and they also have an away game in the West Riding County Cup when they have to travel to Harrogate Railway.

Guiseley Reserves had another abortive week and their frustrations rise with the inadequacies of the Bolton Alliance Combination League.

They were due at Ashton on Friday after having beaten them 7-1 at Nethermoor the previous Saturday and for the second time this season Ashton called the game off at the last minute leaving the reserves kicking their heels. They hoped to be in action last night, Wednesday with a home game.

Guiseley Reserves have been in action only four times so far this season and the situation is really not helping the club at all. Players needed for the first team squad have not seen enough match action and the situation is worrying the management team of Bobby Davison and Brett Farriday.

Farriday has made several signings but has been unable to view them so far and his scouting appears second to none. He has unearthed a stream of players who have made their way through the reserves to the first team over the last couple of seasons.

He looks to have some bright young talent this time but the lack of match action is posing a threat as players want to be involved

and be playing and it seems some will look elsewhere if the action does not begin soon.

The lack of action is of great concern to both Farriday and Davison but Guiseley's problem is where can their Reserve team go

to get any decent league action?

The last time there was a reserve team at Guiseley it had to play in the Northern Counties East reserve division and they were winning games by a massive margin which was doing no one any good.

Neither is the current situation in the Bolton Alliance where fixtures are haphazard to say the least and the commitment of clubs of Conference and UniBond standard to reserve football seems badly lacking.

This is instanced by the likes of Barrow who failed to turn up at Nethermoor last season and then this season let Guiseley travel all the way to Barrow only for them not to get a game when the host club had failed to provide match officials.

Guiseley's Academy side has also been out of action due to the poor weather. The pitch at St Mary's School was waterlogged and it had been hoped to transfer Sunday's game with Emley to the main pitch at Nethermoor but overnight rain put paid to that.

The Academy are due to entertain Garforth Town at Nethermoor tonight, Thursday (7.30 pm).

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