Match Report

‘Below standard’ Guisborough – but they still manage to grind out draw and stay unbeaten

A distinctly below-par Guisborough Town lost their 100% win record after conceding a late equaliser at West Auckland Town on Saturday – but at least they maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a hard-earned draw.

Guisborough Manager Nathan Haslam was clearly disappointed by his side’s performance, which he described as well below the standard the whole team had become accustomed to so far this season.

He commented:  “I’m frustrated as our performance as a whole was absolutely nowhere near the standards we have set so far.

“For whatever reason, the collective across the group of players was that they lacked composure and their usual high energy levels were below normal and yet we’ve come away with a point from home which I think is the only positive from this away trip.

“The lads looked tired today in contrast to our performance at Consett where our energy levels were excellent and we kept a clean sheet against a team a league level above us. So we expected to go and do exactly the same at West Auckland but for whatever reason it just didn’t happen.

“But I’ve been around the game for far too long not to expect this kind of thing to happen so we’ve just got to put it behind us and move forward and look to rediscover the high energy and standards we know we’re capable of,” added Nathan.

Looking ahead to the upcoming week with two games against Birtley at home in the league on Wednesday, 13 August and then the massive FA Cup clash at home to Redcar Athletic next Saturday, 16 August Nathan said they were both games the team wanted to do well in.

‘TOUGH MATCHES’

“But these will be tough matches and I’ll reiterate that we need to do better than we did today here at West Auckland,” concluded Nathan.

In the game itself at Auckland, the first half was relatively even but neither side could show the required composure to make the break through on either goal.

It took as far into the game as the 75^th minute before the deadlock was broken by the Priorymen and they did so in spectacular fashion.

Second half substitute Elliott Beddow hit a diagonal cross shot from the right of the West penalty area and it arrowed beautifully into the far corner of the goal for 1-0 to Guisborough.

However, the lead lasted just five minutes when West launched an attack from the left and as the ball came over into the Guisborough penalty area the danger wasn’t cleared and Oscar Exley-Aldsworth managed to prod the ball home from close range at the right hand post for 1-1.

That’s how it finished in front of a crowd of 202, with once again a healthy away following for the Guisborough faithful.

Report: Bill Perfitt