GUISELEY competed well against high-flying Wrexham but the Welsh visitors were able to find that little extra to win 2-0 as they went top of the Vanarama National League, dumping the Lions into the basement in the process

There were five players making their home debuts in Guiseley's ever-changing team – but there was no change in their fortune as the Lions slumped to a fourth consecutive league defeat and prop up the table with 16 games remaining.

Yet manager Paul Cox remains upbeat, saying: "I thought that in the first 20 to 25 minutes there was very little between the sides, although we started slowly.

"We've given a sloppy goal away, and it's not like us to try and play a silly offside, but I thought for large periods of the game we played on the front foot and affected the game.

"I can tell why Wrexham have got the best defensive record in the league.

"I've just tried to explain to the players in the dressing room we've given a soft goal away on a restart (set-piece) and we're chasing the game for the last quarter of an hour-20 minutes when at 1-0 we'd still been in the game and playing on the front foot.

"The difference is Rowan Liburd is just about to put the ball in the net and their No 8 (Sam Wedgbury) comes across and puts in a world-class tackle. So it's mixed emotions because as a unit, I don't think we played badly.

"We've been away to Fylde, we've been away to Dover and we've played Wrexham, who have gone top, and we've got nothing to show from all three games, although I think our performance levels have been relatively good."

Dayle Southwell, Sean St Ledger, Harry Flowers and on-loan Northampton keeper Luke Coddington were all making a first appearance at Nethermoor, while right back Victor Nirennold was making his club debut after the Frenchman signed on loan from Fleetwood the day before the game.

As Guiseley tried to settle, the visitors created some good openings and broke the deadlock after just 17 minutes.

Chris Holroyd slipped the offside trap and rounded Coddington before rolling the ball goalwards from an angle. Nirennold slid in to try to clear but merely deflected the ball high into the net.

Callum McFadzean saw a good shot blocked for a corner and Southwell almost found himself in before Wrexham keeper Chris Dunn got a hand to the ball as the Lions striker looked to control the ball on the half-volley.

But the visitors were also still threatening and Flowers had to hook the ball off the line when Dragons centre back and captain Chris Holroyd got a firm header to a 33rd-minute corner.

That was the route of the visitors' second goal which killed the contest. The skipper met a 72nd-minute flag-kick at the far post and gave Coddington no chance.

That sparked the Welsh following in the 1,338 strong crowd into chanting that they were top of the league.