Pickering Town FC 3 – 4 Guisborough Town
(North Riding Senior Cup Quarter Final)

Match Report

Guisborough Town stormed through to the North Riding Senior Cup semis with a sensational victory at Pickering Town last night in a truly dramatic finale to an amazing game.

After watching his side reel off their fourth consecutive win, Guisborough Manager Steve Bell was full of praise for his team who came back from 3-2 down late on to snatch victory with two goals in the last seven minutes, despite being down to 10 men.

Steve commented:

When we went 3-2 down 20 minutes from time then had Charlie Marshall sent off in the 80th minute we all thought that was that.

But the lads had showed brilliant character throughout the match, particularly in that final 10 minutes when they turned the game around completely to secure a memorable victory.

The lads never gave up and when we scored the winner through Sam Webster two minutes from time I was in no doubt that the best team on the night had won.

We are on a great roll at the moment and I’m really looking forward to our next match against Crook Town at the KGV on Saturday when we’ll be looking to make it five straight wins in a row.

Guisborough started the game looking better than their higher league rivals but Pickering went ahead against the run of play when Billy Logan scored after 12 minutes, heading home near the back post to put the Northern Premier League Division One East side 1-0 ahead.

The Priorymen hit back to deservedly equalise on 26 minutes when the ball was flicked on to JJ Bartliff who headed home for 1-1 and that’s how the score stayed to the half-time interval.

Pickering regained the lead in the 50th minute when Rafael Ferreira was allowed to play on after a Guisborough foul and he slipped the ball under Guisborough ‘keeper Ben Fairless for 2-1 to the home side.

But Guisborough made it all square at 2-2 on 65 minutes when Pickering failed to clear a cross and defender James Dillon equalised for the Priorymen,

Just five minutes later, though, Pickering regained the lead again when Omar Sangyang took advantage of a loose ball to make it 3-2.

In the 80th minute Guisborough suffered a big blow when skipper Charlie Marshall was unfortunate to be shown the red card and all looked lost at that point for the visitors.

But the never-say-die Priorymen are made of sterner stuff these days and on 83 minutes Luke Smithyman pulled it back to 3-3 when the Pickering ‘keeper spilled the ball and Smithyman gleefully smashed the ball home.

With only two minutes remaining Sam Webster got on the end of a cross to head home for 4-3 to the Priorymen to seal a sensational comeback!

Guisborough’s next match is this coming Saturday at the KGV Stadium against Crook Town, when the Priorymen will be looking to secure a league double over the Durham side.

Report: Bill Perfitt