GUISELEY'S failure to capitalise on their dominance at Ashton United last night saw them suffer a second defeat in three games in Vanarama League North.

Matthew Regan’s goal proved to be the difference between the sides in a 1-0 loss, but the Lions should have been at least four or five to the good with the chances they had created but failed to put away.

The visitors went on the offensive from the off with Paul Clayton just short of Kaine Felix’s cross with 10 minutes played.

Then the latter cut in from the right to fire in a blistering shot that cannoned back off the crossbar to give the travelling supporters a feeling of déjà vu after the Darlington woodwork had come to the Quakers' rescue four times on Saturday.

Louis Walsh was next to try his luck on 22 minutes as his mazy run took him past three defenders only to be denied by Luke Pilling.

Just before the half-hour a cross from the left found the head of Will Thornton who went for goal when he might have been better heading the ball back into the mix.

Will Hatfield also went close just before the break as Pilling pulled off a fine save to leave United wondering how they were going into the break still on level terms.

Two minutes into the second period Clayton got on the end of Felix’s cross but planted his header just wide of the post.

Taking advantage of some slack defending, the assistant manager nearly got away and as one of the defenders recovered the loose ball, which fell to Hatfield on the follow-up but his effort was saved by Pilling once again.

Both Felix and Walsh put in crosses from the byline with any takers before mild panic in the visitors' defence nearly saw them gift the home side a goal before Andy Halls hoofed the ball away to safety.

However, Ashton made the Lions pay in their next attack as Regan lashed the ball into the top corner on 68 minutes to put the Tamesiders ahead.

Curtis Morrison and Kayode Odejayi replaced Felix and Clayton with 15 minutes remaining but even with an additional five added minutes Guiseley were unable to claw back the deficit in a game that should have been dead and buried by half-time.

Russ O'Neill, Guiseley joint-manager, said: "We are not sticking the ball in the back of the net, simple as that.

"We really got on top of them, but ultimately you have got to get goals.

"We got a little bit erratic when they scored, but had more chances.

"We are frustrated that we are not scoring the goals that our play warrants. That is something that we are going to have to address.

"The performance and the endeavour is there, scoring goals is all that's been missing in the last two games."