Vanarama National League: Guiseley 1 Dover Athletic 1

GUISELEY earned a point from the visit of high-flying Dover Athletic to remain unbeaten under new boss Paul Cox but they also remain in the Vanarama National League relegation zone.

It was a fourth consecutive draw for the Lions since Cox was appointed, and it came from a very promising performance.

They more than matched a Dover side who were joint top going into the game.

The home side edged the first half and were unfortunate not to go into the break with a lead after being pegged back late on.

The visitors, however, were the more pro-active side in the goalless second half.

Cox said: “I thought we were very good in the first half - probably the best we’ve looked as a unit since I’ve been here.

“We deserved to have been at least two goals up by half-time but we just switched off for a minute, and you can’t do that.

"It was a great strike by their lad but he had loads of space to allow him to get the shot in.”

There was a familiar chant of 'Rooney, Rooney' ringing around Nethermoor on the half-hour mark as the Lions broke the deadlock.

Midfielder John Rooney aimed a free-kick at a gap in the wall, and the ball was curling towards Dover keeper Mitch Walker’s right-hand post, but it took a heavy deflection and went in by his left-hand post.

A nasty looking injury to Guiseley striker Raul Correia punctured the game as the player went down in the 38th minute.

Correia was treated on the pitch for a while but had to be stretchered off.

The visitors equalised through Nortei Nortey minutes before the break.

The Lions thought they had cleared the danger following a set-piece but the ball was worked to Nortey, and he lashed a shot, from outside the left-hand corner of the area, out of the reach of Guiseley keeper Joe Green.

Cox added: “Raul went off for a scan straight away, so until we get the results we don’t know what the injury is or how long he’ll be out, but I saw the fall and it looked like a cruciate to me.

"I’ve had two cruciate ligament injuries and that’s what it looked like.

“We hope not because Raul, more than anyone, has improved over these four games and he’s responded to our chats and he was just proving how good he is.

"I think the whole team is improving. We’ve played four games, against clubs from various positions in the league, and we’ve looked as good as any of them.”