GUISELEY are in a fragile state after heavy back-to-back defeats wrecked their solid opening to the new Vanarama North campaign, and they will have a long time to contemplate their form on the team bus tomorrow.

The Lions face one of their longest journeys of the season as they travel to Northamptonshire to take on Brackley Town.

The home side were one of the promotion favourites before a ball was kicked, but after six games they are second bottom, so are as shell-shocked as their visitors.

Brackley lost 2-1 last time out to newly-promoted Chorley but have been beaten only once at home so far this season, and that was 1-0 to Boston United, who are third.

Another thing that will give Brackley heart ahead of Guiseley’s visit is the fact that their only win so far came at home against Gainsborough Trinity, who kick-started the Lions’ slump.

Until Mark Bower’s men met Trinity, they had not conceded a goal this season. A 3-1 defeat began the rot and was followed by last Saturday’s 4-1 reverse against Gloucester City.

Bower, who is hoping to sign a striker before tomorrow, said: “I have to look at myself and ask how I can get the best out of the players because we look short on confidence, and how can that be?

“We started with four games and four clean sheets. To go from that to conceding seven in two in a week is difficult to comprehend. The goals we conceded against Gloucester last Saturday were poor ones.

“We had spoken about their left back (Billy) Jones and his delivery of dead balls and set-pieces, and he set two up. We spoke before the game about not giving (Charlie) Griffin chances and he got a free header.

“Having said that, I do think nothing is dropping for us in either box. It is fine margins but when we keep going behind in games we are finding it hard to get back into them and when you start chasing games you get picked off.

“Brackley may be low in the league but that doesn’t matter because tomorrow will be a very difficult game. It always is when you go there so we have got to be sharper and work harder than we have in the last two games.”