A BIT of good fortune never goes amiss, and Guiseley manager Mark Bower reckons his team are due a change of luck with four games left in their Vanarama Conference North season, starting with a derby at Bradford Park Avenue on Saturday.
Sandwiched between last weekend's 3-1 victory at Colwyn Bay was a 1-0 defeat at Chorley on Tuesday of last week, where Bower said "we got nothing from the referee" and a 2-0 home defeat to Stalybridge Celtic on Easter Monday, where he called the dismissal of Danny Hall, which helped to turn the match, "a shocking decision".
The former Bantams stalwart said: "We must be due some good luck on the run-in.
"Stalybridge Celtic apart, we have been pretty consistent over the past six to eight weeks and have picked up some decent results.
"And we didn't play badly in the first 20 minutes on Monday. Then we went 1-0 behind and I was looking to get the lads into the changing rooms for a chat when we had Danny Hall sent off.
"Their lad pushed the ball to Drenchy (goalkeeper Steve Drench) and just fell to his knees. You fall forward if you are tripped or pushed but he has conned the linesman and the referee.
"We have managed with ten men before but that is when we have been ahead, not when we have been behind."
Celtic got another goal early in the second half, and that was Guiseley's chance gone.
However, they are still in the fifth and last play-off berth, and are three points ahead and have a game in hand over sixth-placed Tamworth.
Avenue won 2-1 at Nethermoor as recently as February 24, and Bower added: "They were second from bottom at the time but I never expected them to stay there with players such as Simon Ainge and Craig King there.
"It will be a tough match and my players will be looking for revenge but I expect Avenue to finish this season strongly, buy some players in the summer and push on next season."
Danny Ellis and Gavin Rothery could both figure more prominently on Saturday as they continue their comebacks.
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