Guiseley 7, Eastwood Town 0

Gavin Rothery struck a hat-trick as Guiseley marched through to the next round of the FA Trophy after putting seven goals without reply past Eastwood Town.

Visiting keeper James Severn could not have been more aptly named as the Lions strolled through the Eastwood midfield and defence almost at will and rattled in goals at regular intervals in a one-sided tie.

With incessant drizzle and buffeting winds, it was a difficult afternoon at Nethermoor, but the hosts read the conditions well.

They relied even more heavily than normal on their speed and passing game and their ability to keep the ball on the floor paid huge dividends.

The goalfest began in the seventh minute when a good build-up culminated with a low, angled drive from Rothery nestling in the bottom corner of the net.

The determination of Lee Ellington and Ciaran Toner just before the half-hour mark led to another chance being created and Danny Forrest drilled it home.

A six-minute spell late in the first half made the tie safe for Guiseley, beginning with Rothery hammering his second in off the foot of Severn’s left-hand post.

Another well-struck shot from outside the area found the back of the net, this time from Toner after a neat lay-off. Then a minute later Forrest walked in his second after an error by the Town defence.

Eastwood made two changes for the start of the second half but it did not stop the flow of goals as Simon Baldry headed in the Lions’ sixth. He got his head to former Huddersfield Town colleague Andy Holdsworth’s 52nd-minute corner.

Baldry departed soon after, along with Danny Boshell, as Guiseley boss Steve Kittrick made changes, knowing the contest was won and there was another cup tie on Tuesday to consider.

A little of the urgency was lost from the game and the visitors showed spirit to create some half chances of their own.

But just five minutes from time Rothery completed his hat-trick with a superb volley after substitute Michael Burns had burst down the right flank and delivered a cross.

Kittrick said: “I thought it was a superb performance from all of the players. To score seven at home and not concede against a side from our own division is a very good result.

“I think we lost a bit of momentum in the second half but that is to be expected. The thing is that it gets us back to winning ways and we hope to be able to build on that.”

Guiseley had drawn their previous four games in Blue Square Bet North, one of them against Eastwood.