Vanarama National League: Tranmere Rovers 2 Guiseley 1

GUISELEY were robbed of a point by a stoppage-time penalty at Tranmere Rovers that manager Mark Bower described as a ‘real sucker punch’.

A crowd of almost 4,500 at Prenton Park watched the former Football League outfit get out of jail with added-time goals at the end of each half. The home side’s James Norwood broke Guiseley hearts with a strike in the third of the extra minutes.

Rovers had started well but Guiseley soon got into the game, and Anthony Dudley and Adam Smith both had chances to open the scoring but found home keeper Scott Davies in good form.

The breakthrough came midway through the first period, and it was assistant manager Danny Boshell who beat Davies with a shot drilled into the bottom corner from 20 yards after Gavin Rothery’s cross was only half-cleared.

Norwood glanced Adam Mekki’s corner past Lions keeper Steve Drench right at the end of the first period, and Drench was central again as Norwood took possession of a long through ball right at the death.

The shot-stopper was adjudged to have made a foul as he challenged the striker inside the area, and Norwood despatched the spot-kick.

Bower said: “You never think it’s done until he blows the final whistle, and we just got caught by a ball in midfield that their lad reaches first and hooks forward.

“Drenchy gave the ref a decision to make, and with his performance all afternoon, you knew which way it was going to go.

"I’ve got no arguments with the penalty – I think he had to give it, but we were on the wrong end of most of the decisions.

“They (Tranmere) were gifted two corners at the end of the first half, and the second one leads to their equaliser.

"It definitely felt like big club, little club out there, and we’re disappointed because I thought we’d done enough to see it through to get a point but we got hit by that real sucker punch right at the end.

“We’ve had some tough games recently, and tired legs are always going to be a factor late on.

"But we know the lads will give everything they’ve got for us, and going to places like Tranmere you’re always going to be up against it but we know if we do that against the lesser teams we will get results.”