There were signs of recovery despite the defeat at home to great rivals Avenue on Boxing Day, and Guiseley will look to get January off to the best possible start as they visit Horsfall Stadium tomorrow.

Guiseley went into the reverse fixture on the back of two disappointing defeats but it was a close contest and the scoreline was misleading, the Avenue camp concurring with that.

While Avenue were only 1-0 up and under pressure, James Hanson twice went close to scoring and Phil Denney hit a post.

There was a contentious penalty decision when the referee waved play on after an Avenue defender’s fist appeared to have taken the ball off Hanson’s head just inside the area.

The fans’ anger was compounded as Avenue immediately broke and Matty James made it 2-0, when there was a suspicion that he helped the ball into his path with a hand.

The temperature, on the pitch at least on a bitterly cold afternoon at Nethermoor, rose when Simeon Bambrook made it 2-1 with two minutes of the game and four minutes of stoppage time left.

A penalty that made it 3-1, for an undisputed clumsy challenge on James by James Cotterill, proved the last kick of the match.

The events meant there were several topics for discussion between the groups of fans from both clubs among the crowd of over 700 but the after-match gatherings on the terraces and in the bars were convivial.

Lions supporters are just hoping they regain the bragging rights after tomorrow’s clash.