Guisborough Town 0 – 4 Thornaby

Match Report

Guisborough Town were well beaten 4-0 in their Teesside derby with Thornaby at the KGV Stadium on Saturday but the Priorymen were up against even before a ball was kicked with the absence of key players through injury and suspension.

The Priorymen were missing goalkeeper Robert Dean and winger Steve Roberts (both suspended) and also striker Louis Johnson and central defender Charlie Marshall (both still recovering from recent serious injuries).

Thornaby arrived at the KGV on the crest of a wave, standing second in the league table after an impressive start to the new season.

And it was obvious to everyone in the healthy crowd of 316 why they are doing so well with their speedy movement on and off the ball and their constant pressing when Guisborough were in possession.

There was a lively start from both teams in the opening 20 minutes, with Thornaby having a ‘goal’ by Elliott Beddon ruled out for offside after only three minutes and then the same player shot over the Guisborough bar when well placed.

Guisborough responded with a 25 yard shot from winger Lewis Green which cleared the Thornaby bar on 15 minutes but just seven minutes later Thornaby’s pressure paid off when they took the lead.

Guisborough’s young stand-in ‘keeper Ben Fairless tripped Craig Hutchinson in the penalty area for a clear spot kick which Beddon converted despite Fairless getting a fingertip to the ball at full stretch.

The Priorymen responded three minutes later with a low 20-yard shot from James Rowe being scrambled away for a corner by Thornaby ‘keeper Josh Mazfari. In the 27th minute it was Guisborough ‘keeper Fairless’s turn to spring into action when he came out smartly to smother a Luke Hogan effort.

But on 31 minutes Thornaby doubled their lead with an impressive goal as left back Dan Flounders raced down the left flank and crossed for Hutchinson – who played briefly for Guisborough two years ago – to guide the ball into the far right corner with a deft flick.

Just one minute into the second half Guisborough were desperately unlucky not to score to haul themselves back into contention. JJ Bartliff cut in from the left and hit a great shot from an angle but it thudded against the foot of the post and from the rebound Guisborough sub Callum Martin steamed in but saw his shot parried by the Thornaby keeper and subsequently cleared.

How fine margins like that can affect a game’s ultimate outcome! Following that double scare Thornaby gave themselves a three-goal cushion in the 53rd minute when an unfortunate mix-up between Fairless and Martin as a long high through-ball was punted forward by Thornaby and Beddon nipped in between the Guisborough defensive pair to score into an empty net for 3-0.

To their credit Guisborough kept plugging away but to no avail and Thornaby rubbed salt into Guisborough’s wounds in the last minute of normal time when full back Lee Moore netted with a volley following a corner out on the right to complete a comfortable 4-0 victory for Thornaby to maintain their second place in the table which Guisborough slipped one position to 12th.

After the game Guisborough Manager Steve Bell was magnanimous in defeat, praising Thornaby’s performance but lamenting what might have been if Guisborough had been at full strength.

I honestly felt that we needed to have all our first-choice players available today to make a proper game of it. I was impressed with Thornaby but to be at our best we needed all our best players out on the pitch. Missing players like Johnson, Roberts, Dean and Marshall would have made the game a ‘proper’ one. After the game I told the players just to put this one to bed as quickly as possible and concentrate on our trip to Crook Town next week.

Report: Bill Perfitt