Guiseley ..................0

WINSFORD UNITED ...2

ON a pitch resembling a paddy field even King Canute would have had difficulty holding back the Winsford side.

They were obviously more up for a game of watersports than Guiseley were. Conditions were not good and it was a surprise to most when the referee decided to go ahead with the match.

But, once the decision is made, you just have to get on with it. Guiseley did not seem to have the stomach for it, whereas Winsford rolled up their sleeves and got on with the task.

As Guiseley's assistant manager Neil Parsley said: "Even though the elements were not goo, 300 spectators braved them and our players did not produce anything to entertain them.

"I compliment those 300 spectators for turning up and I apologise to them for my own performance.

"I was below my standards today and I would say that eight others in our side were also below theirs. They know who they are, I don't need to name them," he added.

Parsley said: "Our best performances have been on good pitches but, having said that, the players are obliged to set standards.

"The players at Guiseley have set good standards in the past and we, as a management team, want better. Today, however, was the worst performance of the season."

Parsley feels that Guiseley can still finish in a top eight position. He added: "Different people are playing for different things. If they want to stay at Guiseley then they have to play to please Bobby and if they want to move on, they have to play to impress.

"The players owe it to themselves as well as to Guiseley AFC to produce their consistent best now and to the end of the season," he said.

Of the performance against Winsford and his own substitutions, Parsley said: "You try and made changes within a game to retrieve the situation. Colin Hunter was brought on to try and use his pace and flair and Roland Egege was brought on to add some bite to midfield, but having said that, 15 minutes is not long enough for him to change the course of the game.

"He came on because I thought he could do a better job than I was doing at that stage."

Parsley said he felt sorry for Guiseley's front lads as they had no service from midfield.

"We also defended poorly and it is a good job we had a goalkeeper on top form today or the margin of defeat would have been even wider," he said.

"What disappointed me about today's game was the fact that Winsford became the only side to do the double over us this season."

As to the game itself, there was little to say from Guiseley's point of view as malaise crept through the side.

Winsford played some neat football and raided quickly, not letting the conditions bother them.

It was no surprise when they opened the scoring in the 20th minute through Gary Thomas. He picked up the ball and moved forward to fire past Steve Dickinson.

There was some confusion over the scorer as Thomas and Eddie Hussin had come out in the wrong shirts but they swapped them at half-time.

There was little joy for Guiseley with Colin Hogarth getting a first-half booking for handling an intended through ball.

Lee Elam headed over, Bobby Davison got in a tame shot and Steve Hook headed over from a corner - Guiseley's only efforts of note in the first-half.

Early in the second period Winsford increased their lead when Dickinson was beaten, the ball came down off the bar, hit Hook and was headed in by Winfield Steele.

Hook had his name taken for a foul before Colin Hunter came on to replace Jamie Procter.

Neil Matthews had a shot on the turn which he put side and he also headed over from a Lee Elam free kick.

Matthews was certainly having an off day and when Egege set him up, he shot straight at the 'keeper.

At the other end, Dickinson was producing heroics to keep his side in the game. Despite this performance, assistant manager Parsley still feels Guiseley can finish in the top eight, thus guaranteeing them a place in the President's Cup - a competition they have reached the final of in this season.

Parsley said: "I expect us to win three games and draw one of the last four matches we have left."

Perhaps a tall order as those games are against Frickley away this Saturday, at home to Runcorn on Easter Monday, at Bamber Bridge on April 18 and at home to FA Cup giant killers Emley on May 2. All these games kick-off at 3pm.

Guiseley's two-legged President's Cup final has not yet been arranged as the other semi-final between Runcorn and Blyth Spartans is up in the air.

Blyth have been disqualified from the competition for fielding an ineligible player in the first leg of the semi-finals. Blyth won the first leg 2-1.

However, they have lodged an appeal with the FA so the second leg will take place this week as planned.

Blyth have also had seven points deducted for playing ineligible players in their Unibond League games.

Guiseley Reserves

Guiseley Reserves were without a game at the weekend but were due at Bamber Bridge on Tuesday night.

They then face two cup semi-finals, the first is on Saturday in the League Cup against Lancaster City at Flixton FC.

The second is against Pool AFC at Otley Town in the Wharfedale Challenge Cup on Thursday, April 19 (6.30pm).

The possible title decider with Southport takes place at Nethermoor on Saturday, April 18. Guiseley are currently top of the Bolton Alliance but Southport have four games in hand and could overtake them.

The weather and ground conditions meant that Sunday's junior five-a-side competition had to be postponed. It will now take place on Sunday, April 19.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.