Ruthless streak is all that's missing for Guiseley

Guiseley consolidated second place in Blue Square Bet North with a regulation victory over a hard-working Oxford City side at Nethermoor.

Their neighbours Oxford United may have got three points from their visit to West Yorkshire on Saturday but City never looked like beating Guiseley.

The Lions dominated the first half after weathering a breezy ten-minute start by the visitors.

Once Steve Kittrick’s men got in front, the urgency went out of the game and Guiseley were rarely troubled.

Oxford worked hard but were a little short on the quality they would have needed to make it a close contest.

Kittrick said: “This shows that we are learning because last season when teams came and put ten men behind the ball we got frustrated. We would have got carried away and they would have countered and nicked it.

“This performance was better than that and it brought us a good win.

“It wasn’t a pretty goal but we were in their area and knocking on the door. Once we did score I thought we dropped the pace a bit too much and we mentioned that in the dressing room.

“We said this time it hasn’t caught us out but if we do get a lead we have to keep doing what we have been and try to add to it. We have to develop a ruthless streak because that’s what teams who get promoted have.”

There were speculative efforts from both sides early in the game but it took the home side almost half an hour for their passing and moving game to come to life.

They were carving open the Oxford defence but the final ball or fizzing crosses were either tantalisingly close to reaching their targets or stoically blocked.

A James Walshaw free-kick clipped the wall and flew just wide while Jack Rea and Josh Wilson both had efforts hacked off the line before half-time.

It took Guiseley just four minutes after the interval to make the breakthrough. The home side forced three consecutive corners, the third of which led to an almighty scramble in the six-yard box and Walshaw lashed the ball in from close range.

The visitors’ defenders looked at the officials because their keeper Matt Ingram had gone to ground in the midst of the battle for possession but nothing was forthcoming.