Crook Town 1-1 Guisborough Town

Match Report

Guisborough Town came within seconds of pulling off what would have been a brilliant victory at in-form Crook Town who had reeled off five wins on the spin before Wednesday night’s game.

After a first half in which the Priorymen had dominated but couldn’t find the crucial finish, Guisborough took the lead in the 53rd minute when defender Dylan McAvoy got possession and drove forward before letting fly with a rasping strike into the bottom corner. A superb goal by any standards.

Two minutes later Guisborough defender James Frazer made an unbelievable block to preserve his side’s lead. But Guisborough continued to press forward and in the 81st minute substitute Max Craggs chested the ball down beautifully for Kurtis Howes to get in his shot but not for the first time in the game his effort was blocked.

Just when it seemed Guisborough were going to bring Crook’s winning run to an end the Priorymen conceded a last-gasp penalty which Craig Moody gleefully smashed home to level the game at 1-1 and that’s how it finished.

After the game Guisborough Manager Steve Connolly gave his reaction.

It has to be one of disappointment. Crook are on one heck of a run at the moment and they have some very good players but we’ve controlled the game and given them a torrid time tonight.

But when you go into the final stages at 1-0 up on a wet, slippery pitch you always run the risk of something silly happening and so it proved tonight.

So yes a disappointing ending for us with two points dropped again for the second time in a row but ultimately we’re seven games unbeaten and the run continues so we’ve got to be happy with that. The challenge we set ourselves for the match tonight was to try and make Crook do some of the running and let’s have the ball as often as we can and keep it for as long as we can.

I think it’s fair to say that we’ve risen well to that challenge but realistically once again the thing that was missing was that final push to put the ball into the back of the net. But despite that, tonight’s performance was one of the best since I and my coaching team joined Guisborough Town so to come away with a point from Crook in midweek but feeling hard done by means we are in a place that’s positive.

Conceding a penalty in the dying seconds is still going to feel like a defeat until the next morning at least.

Looking ahead to Guisborough’s next game at Blyth Town on Saturday, Steve said he hoped the current injuries plaguing mainly his defenders would ease up and allow them to travel to high-flying Blyth with a stronger squad.

Report: Bill Perfitt