THIS was Guiseley’s 13th Vanarama National League game this season, and it proved unlucky as they again suffered defeat in a game they played a full part in.

The Lions are bottom of the table and still looking for their first victory but they are not being played off the park.

Some of the defeats have been deserved but some, like the one at Sutton’s Borough Sports Ground, have been difficult to swallow. Sutton moved up to tenth after winning the match with a first-half own goal from new recruit Connor Brown.

Guiseley manager Adam Lockwood said: “It was never going to be easy coming to a place like this but, on the whole, I can’t fault the guys.

“These things happen. Connor came in just a day before the game and he’s straight into the squad. It’s one of those things but he’s been big enough to hold his hands up and say he’s let the lads down.

“It’s a different changing room in there at the moment and there’s plenty of positivity. I thought that we were the better side, and it’s cruel to lose a game like that, but that’s football.”

After seeing his side miss a glorious opportunity to snatch a draw in the dying minutes when Jordan Preston fired over from five yards, Lockwood remained upbeat and philosophical.

He said: “What will disappoint me is if we don’t see that same desire and commitment at home to York City on Tuesday. People don’t make mistakes on purpose, and Jordan didn’t mean to miss that at the end.

“Some will say that it’s a sitter, an open goal, but I can get over that. The players have looked each other in the eye, and that’s what we need.

“I can sleep. It might be a restless sleep, but I know that they gave it a real go and, as I’ve said before, if we have good performances and maintain these standards then results will come. Obviously we need to get them fast.”

Brown, like Lockwood and newly-appointed assistant manager Dave Penny, lists Oldham Athletic as one of his former clubs.

He was drafted in as the Lions have both right backs, Danny East and Javan Vidal, out through injury but turned a Kevin Amankwaah cross past his own keeper ten minutes before the interval.

The Lions did have chances, with Alex Purver being denied by home keeper Ross Worner and Simon Walton firing over in the first half.

After the break, Worner saved well from a back header by his own defender and made a superb diving save to palm a shot from Preston away before the same player fired over in stoppage time.