NUNEATON B.........2

Guiseley...............3

WITH five first team players missing from the line-up and skipper Des Hazel leaving the fray after just eight minutes Guiseley produced one of their best ever performances to dispose of Conference side Nuneaton Borough. They rightfully earned a place in the first round proper of the FA Cup for the third time in their history.

They will visit Forest Green - a Conference side making their first ever appearance in the first round- at the Gloucestershire club's The Lawn ground on Saturday, October 30.

With Nuneaton riding high in the Conference there was no doubting Guiseley were the underdogs but every dog has his day and this was certainly Guiseley's day. What a magnificent performance.

They rocked Nuneaton back on their heels with a third minute goal and the shock was compounded by the brilliant way in which the goal was created.

Des Hazel won a midfield tackle, shipped the ball short to Lee Poole and he laid it out wide to the right wing where full-back Steve Sanders floated in a well measured cross to the far post where Tony Agana was waiting. The big striker headed the ball downwards into the path of Simon Parke and he stroked the ball home to send the Guiseley contingent into raptures and to silence the home crowd of 2,100.

They were totally stunned by the quality of the goal. They were even more stunned when Guiseley extended their lead to 2-0 in the 27th minute when Lee Poole's corner found Agana at the near post and the former Sheffield United man headed home.

In between these two goals Guiseley had lost Hazel who had taken a severe kicking in the back of his leg. Bryan Brooks replaced him and after a shaky start he settled down to become one of the Guiseley heroes. To a man they harried, tackled and chased and were always willing to go forward. Goalkeeper James Shutt took a real battering as Nuneaton tried to get back on terms and indeed Borough fought back to level at 2-2 . The catalyst was ironically the introduction of former Guiseley striker Dave Hanson as a substitute for Delton Francis.

Joe O'Connor set up Barry Williams in the 63rd minute and then Hanson levelled against his former club in the 68th minute. It was back to the wall stuff for a period for Guiseley but their effort was non-stop and they were always there in numbers to cover.

In the 75th minute they got their reward when Bryan Brooks superbly found Benn Gallagher and from the right wing he fired in a cross which Simon Parke was gleefully onto to score what proved to be the winning goal.

Guiseley continued to battle with every man doing his job and it was no surpirse when Parke was replaced by Stefan Zoll in the 85th minute. Parke had run himself into the ground not only in attack but constantly back in defence where the big men Daly and Hook were missing.

When Hazel left the field it left his side with a very inexeperienced midfield but they buckled down, rolled their sleeves up and battled like mad as did all the side.

The side however gained its inspiration from the majestic Colin Hogarth at left-back; the magnificent Agana showing his commitment to the Guiseley cause with a superb display which had the home support full of admiration; and to the calmness of manager Bobby Davison. He stood by his dug out looking as if he was waiting for a number 5 bus. There are no histrionics from this man and his side take their lead from him.

The pairing of Agana and Parke up front caused Nuneaton endless problems and Agana even had enough energy left to turn cartwheels of joy at the end.

What a happy 20th birthday it was too for Guiseley defender James Nettleton. It was a day he and all his team mates can look back on with pride.

Guiseley.- Shutt; Sanders, Nettleton, Phillips, Hogarth; Hazel (Brooks 8 mins), Gallagher, Poole, Shuttleworth; Agana. Pake (Zoll 85 mins). Subs not used - Stancliffe, Davison, Hook.

l It was down to earth with a bump for Guiseley on Tuesday when they lost 3-1 at home to GainsboroughTrinity. For a match report and all the latest Guiseley news turn to page 35.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.