Farsley 0 Guiseley 0

DANNY Hall suffering a broken leg after just half an hour put a dampener on Saturday’s pre-season friendly at Throstle Nest.

When the Guiseley centre back limped off it just looked like an unfortunate injury on the verge of the new season. It was not until the game had ended that the extent of Hall’s injury became apparent.

Lions boss Mark Bower said: “Danny was sent to hospital for x-rays after being taken off and was found to have a broken fibula. He will be out for about three months.”

It was as a double blow to Guiseley, who had already lost close-season signing Danny Lowe from their back four just 15 minutes into the game.

With their Vanarama Conference North campaign this coming Saturday, it was incredibly bad luck.

Bower added: “It is so disappointing to lose Danny, who is one of our most important players, in the last friendly. There is no good time to suffer an injury like that but just a matter of days before a new season makes it worse.

“Danny Lowe also had to go off with a groin injury so from that point of view it was a very bad afternoon for us.

“It was a sluggish, slow-paced game. We created a lot of chances but they frustrated us and made it difficult. We needed to take one of the early chances to open the game up but credit to Farsley for closing us out.

“Something like that injury to Danny takes the edge off a game though. I’m sure the players all knew it was a bad one and that affected the rest of the match. It’s the last thing you want in pre-season but unfortunately it's part and parcel of football and we will have to deal with it.”

Guiseley were creating chances from the fifth minute, their former Norwich City man Oli Johnson the most profligate. Throughout the first half, Farsley striker Marcus Edwards did not get a sniff of an opening.

The second half was littered with substitutions by both sides and the changes made it a more open game. Edwards’ pace got him into the visitors’ area soon after the break but despite their changes of personnel the Lions’ defence were resolute.

Assistant manager Danny Boshell came close to scoring for Guiseley but his shot from the corner of the area following a 69th-minute corner was finger-tipped around the post by Farsley keeper Tom Taylor at full stretch.

Aiden Brownlee came on to make a very positive late cameo appearance for Farsley but it was captain Rob O’Brien who tested Lions keeper Steve Drench nine minutes from time. That was the last chance of a contest that was enthralling in its own way without anyone lighting the blue touch paper.