FORMER Leeds United striker Bobby Davison has taken over as manager of Guiseley AFC after Steve Richards offered his resignation following Saturday's defeat at Lancaster City. In the wake of Richards departure assistant manager Greg Abbott has also left the club having has his registration cancelled.

Richards' side has struggled in recent months and has appeared to lack motivation and following the manager's criticism of the home fans relationships had soured somewhat and his resignation came as no real surprise.

Abbott was annpoyed that he was overlooked for the manager's role after playing assistant to Richards and late on Sunday he asked to be released.

Club Chairman Phil Rogerson said: 'We agreed to release Greg Abbott and we have cancelled his registration.'

Abbott was missing when the team visited Hyde on Monday night although Richards was in the dug out for one last game.

His successor Davison lasted just five minutes before being taken to hospital after being kicked in the head.

Excited

Davison, nursing a closed up eye, said he was excited by the challenge of being manager of the UniBond Premier Division club.

'The timing could have been better as I was expecting Steve to carry on until the end of the season but pressure of his police work has meant that he has decided to go now.'

'With Steve Dickinson and Paul Bottomley facing lengthy bans and Des Hazel set for a return to Australia at a few days notice things will not be easy but the challenge will be there for the club's Reserve team players to show what they can do,' said Davison.

He was watching the Reserves' training session on Tuesday night to cast an eye over first team hopefuls.

'They will all get the chance but I will not be bringing a lot of them in at once. That would not be fair to them or the senior players with the club.'

The Reserves are set to train with the first team tonight, Thursday, and that training will include specialist goalkeeper training with Nigel Muttrick - set to take over in Dickinson's absence - taking part in sharpening up exercises.

'With the Reserve team playing so well Nigel has seen little action and will need extra training to sharpen up for the first team,' said Davison.

'It is up to the young lads to prove to me that they are good enough for the first team and that they really want to play for the first team. It is a great opportunity for them. We are safe from relegation and I can experiment to some degree.'

'I am excited about the job but it has brought headaches straight away. With Greg Abbott deciding to leave on Sunday night it left us chasing around for a player to complete the squad for Hyde and we owe a great debt to Brett, who assists Brendan Hudson in running the Reserves, for racing around all day to make sure we got Craig Bower. We are very grateful to him for all his efforts.'

Davison added:'When you are not working with players every day it is difficult. We need to train quite a bit to get my points over to the players but they are a good bunch of lads. I want total commitment to the cause and we need to start producing both as individuals and as a team.'

Encouraging

'It was encouraging to see the response from the players at Hyde on Monday. Steve Dickinson had to make three or four great saves but I felt that the commitment was there from all the squad.'

'The supporters want to see a side winning or giving some kind of excitement.They pay their money and are entitled to that. There will not be a load of new faces at this stage

but I hope the supporters will get behind us. I have to realise it is a non-league club but I want to try and run it as professionally as possible.'

' I saw enough to encourage me to take the job at Guiseley. It would have been unwise of me to turn down the challenge. '

'I enjoy working with players and to give my all to Guiseley I will have to wind down some of my other activities such as running the kids academy at Harrogate. I need to spend time looking at our Reserve team and looking at how other sides in our league play,' said Davison.

Davison's first game in full charge will come at Spennymoor on Saturday.

HYDE UNITED 1

GUISELEY 1

Bobby Davison lasted just five minutes in the game at Hyde on Monday receiving a kick to his eye socket.

He was taken to hospital but the four hour wait was obviously too long for the experienced Davison and he returned to the ground to encourage his side later going to Wharfedale General Hospital for a check up.

He expects to be fit to play at Spennymoor on Saturday.

Young striker Michael Jordan came on to replace Davison and he grabbed Guiseley's goal in the 23rd minute.

Neil Matthews hit a post with his shot and then Des Hazel found Jordan in space and the young striker moved on to open the scoring much to his delight.

In an end to end game a draw was probably a fair result but Neil Matthews will again be rueing his missed chance when he had the 'keeper beaten but the ball agonisingly hit the far post and came out.

Jordan set Lee Elam up for a strike but the young midfielder mis-hit.

Paul Bottomley then put his 'keeper in trouble and as Dickinson rushed out to challenge his former Guiseley colleague Lutel James the Hyde man rifled the ball home in first-half injury time.

Dickinson atoned with several spectacular saves as the fast raiding Hyde side kept the Guiseley defence on their toes.

Simon Parke had a shot cleared off the line and Jordan's back header from a Colin Hogarth throw was taken by 'keeper Jonathan Scargill.

In what was at times a tough game Jordan got a blow in the face and he was later replaced by Craig Bowers who has enjoyed success in the Guiseley Reserve team.

He looked another promising young player with a good touch.

LANCASTER CITY 3

GUISELEY 2

It all happened after this game with manager Steve Richards obviously feeling that he could not motivate the side any more.

They fell to a goal in injury time after clawing their way back level after being 2-0 down.

Lancaster raced into a two goal lead with some quick breaks catching Guiseley out.

There was an element of luck about their first goal as the ball rebounded back to Stuart Gelling off Simon Parke and he was able to get another shot in after 15 minutes.

They moved 2-0 up when Charlie Boyd headed in with Dickinson managing to get a hand to it but not able to keep it out.

Guiseley had a string of chances before they hit back with two injury time strikes.

First Bobby Davison was fed by Parke and he turned to fire home past Mark Thornley.

A minute later Paul Bottomley netted a rare goal when he stuck out a telescopic leg to poke the ball home

In the second-half Davison blasted high over and then Matthews delayed his shot too long after he had beaten the 'keeper and Thornley was able to race back and recover the ball on the line.

Matthews did get the ball in the net later but the effort was ruled out for pushing.

He also had a long range shot taken by the 'keeper.

Former Guiseley favourite Jimmy Graham got in a good effort for Lancaster but Dickinson was alert to the situation.

The 'keeper then made a magnificent tip over for a corner. Graham's corner kick ran through the crowded area and Dickinson had to make another good save with his feet.

Thornley dropped a long range shot from Parke but there was no one there to take advantage.

Just as it looked as if Guiseley had got a share of the spoils Lancaster were awarded a free-kick and when the ball came over from Alex Jones Tony McDonald turned it in for the winner.

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