NEIL Parsley's Guiseley side is starting to show signs of improvement and they followed up their league point at Kendal with a victory in the West Riding County Cup on Tuesday.

Parsley is hoping to improve his squad even further with two new strikers but one won't be Burley-in-Wharfedale raised Southport man Rob Pell.

Pell was released by Rotherham and then went to play in Norway before joining Southport last season but with Mark Wright bringing in a number of strikers - including Guiseley's former hit man Simon Parke - Pell has struggled to get a regular place. He has decided to sign for Drolyesden who apparently have more money to offer than Guiseley.

Undaunted however Parsley said that he was hoping to sign Phil Denney from Bradford Park Avenue and Danny Toronzak from Ashton United.

Guiseley................1

Kendal Town.......1

PUTTING last Saturday's heavy defeat at the back of their minds, Kendal Town fancied their chances of returning to winning ways as they focused their attention on the visit of Guiseley, the team with the poorest goal scoring record in the First Division.

Despite the Yorkshire outfit's uninspiring league statistics they soon imposed themselves on the game, outplaying Kendal for long periods and goalkeeper Greg Price was considerably more busy than his opposite number James Shutt.

As early as the sixth minute David Cooke tested Price with a well-struck shot but the former Burscough man's handling was faultless.

Five minutes later Paul Burke was brought down in the area by Craig Allardyke but his only reward was a free-kick outside the box. When the ball was played in Matt Daly hit the rebound well but the 'keeper saved.

A back-pedalling Price then had to tip a Paul Bulgin shot over the bar.

Guiseley continued to threaten Kendal's goal and almost achieved a deserved breakthrough when, after a scramble in the area, the ball fell to Gareth Pritchard but his instinctive toe-poke went narrowly over.

Just after the interval good pressure from Kendal saw winger Lee Catlow deliver a dangerous cross which Benn Gallagher nearly headed into his own net under strong pressure.

Shot shy Kendal lacked penetration all afternoon and the game appeared destined to remain goalless.

Then, with five minutes to go, Lee Catlow capitalised on a misunderstanding between Guiseley captain Andy Williams and his goalkeeper, retrieving the loose ball and slotting it into the empty net to give Kendal an unlikely lead in the 85th minute.

The game still had a final twist, however, as in the 90th minute a header by Pritchard rebounded from the crossbar and bounced off the luckless Price to earn Guiseley a deserved share of the spoils.

Eccleshill.......1

GUISELEY............2

For much of this game Guiseley's failings in front of goal were again evident as they played the better football. After former Guiseley man Dave Elvidge had a goal disallowed Andy Shuttleworth headed over. Paul Burke, who showed a lot of energy and commitment, was presented with a chance most striker's dream of in the 15th minute but he shot high and wide. The unfortunate Burke then got in the way of a screamer from Matt Daly which had looked goalbound all the way. The ball virtually cut Burke in two on the goalline before being scrambled to safety.

Manager Parsley had had to re-jig his side for this West Riding County Cup tie as Dave Henry, the re-signed Lee Poole and Parsley himself were all ineligible as was Reserve team striker Matt Albery.

He did however continue with much the same as Saturday but with Andy Shuttleworth making a return after injury in midfield. It was on the bench where most of the changes came with opportunities for Reserve and youth team players Danny McCartney and Andy Butler alongside Phil Atkinson, Julian Wilkes and Nigel Muttick.

However, the last 20 minutes brightened up and produced something of a cup tie atmosphere as Guiseley first took a 2-0 lead and then had to hang on when Eccleshill were awarded a penalty.

The game livened up in the second-half when Bulgin was taken out against his old side and Guiseley were awarded a penalty. Gareth Pritchard stepped forward to net his third in three games.

Julian Wilkes replaced Burke and the man who is set for a Blind Date spot in late March soon made the headlines of a footballing kind. He rolled the ball home to put his side 2-0 up.

To their credit Eccleshill failed to give in and in the 86th minute they too were awarded a penalty on the say of the referee's assistant with Andy Butler, on for Daly, adjudged to have brought Gary Shaw down. Shaw stepped forward to net the penalty and set up a fraught final few minutes - a period in which Pritchard received an elbow in the face unseen by the referee.