MATCH REPORT: Guiseley 1-2 Fleetwood Town

Lions Face the Cod

Fleetwood were given a run for their money by National League North side Guiseley as they
stumbled into the third round of the FA Cup. Indeed, both the Trawlermen’s goals had a touch of fortune about them in a frantic first half in which the hosts really deserved more than their solitary goal.

The FA Cup on a cold Monday night in a village just North of Leeds. The perfect remedy to tease out the painstaking truism of ‘proper football’ – and that certainly proved to be the case in the first-half. The opening forty-five was played at an endlessly frantic pace, with Guiseley putting on an excellent display.

They barely gave Fleetwood a moment to breathe, and their tenacity was rewarded with some decent sights at goal in the opening twenty or so minutes. Kaine Felix proved to be a wicked treat for the Lions down the right-hand side, his pace causing Fleetwood no end of trouble. Then on the left, full-back Niall Heaton’s mesmerising long throw-ins proved to be another thorn in the visitor’s side.
Will Hatfield’s close-range effort and Kingsley James’s well-struck volley were the best of their early chances before, in rather cliche fashion, they were made to rue those missed opportunities.

A fairly tepid cross into the Guiseley box was missed by Will Thornton and fell kindly to Paddy Madden, who made no mistake in slamming the ball home at the near post. Fleetwood’s arguably undeserved lead was then doubled minutes later as Wes Burns charged down Jo Cummings’s back pass. The Fleetwood winger saw his endeavour rewarded as goalkeeper Joe Green’s clearance cannoned off him and into the empty net.

Just two minutes later, however, and the hosts found themselves back in the game thanks to another botched goalkeeper clearance. Rowan Liburd seemingly took inspiration from Burns’s previous efforts as he bared down on Fleetwood stopper Alex Cairns. His pursuit was not directly awarded with a goal but did force Cairns into a hasty scuffed clearance. The ball fell nicely into the path of Guiseley midfielder Alex Purver, who showed superb technique to cushion the ball into the gaping goalmouth from thirty yards out.

The home side continued to run the Trawlermen ragged for the rest of the opening period but failed to find what would have likely proved to have been a pivotal equalising goal.
The second half came and in comparison to the first, proved to be something of a non-event.

Fleetwood, happy with their lead, seemed content in riding out the rest of the game. Their superior technical ability came up trumps as they kept hold of the ball comfortably. The hard-running Guiseley had produced in the first half that troubled the visitors so much had somewhat waned – it should be remembered that they are only a semi-pro team.

Madden and Burns both missed good chances to add to their tallies and extend Fleetwood’s lead, but the Cod Army never really looked in any doubt in the second half. Although the late introduction of Paul Clayton for Guiseley up front caused a minor stir, the legs appeared to have gone for the home side.

It was a shame, particularly after an unbelievable first-half display that had seriously rattled Fleetwood. They were unconvincing and extremely lucky to go in ahead at half-time but looked comfortable in seeing out their lead in the second half. They now face Wimbledon at home in the third round of the competition.

words Joel Shooter, D3D4 writer and Morecambe correspondent