Guisborough Town 0-4 West Auckland Town

Match Report

Following a promising start to the new season Guisborough Town came back down to earth with the dullest of thuds when they were roundly thrashed 4-0 at home to old adversaries West Auckland Town at the Kevin Edward KGV Stadium on Saturday.

It was an unexpectedly poor performance from the Priorymen, which had Guisborough Manager Steve Bell fuming afterwards.

He snapped:  “We were absolutely rubbish from start to finish today.  We lacked energy, urgency and desire all over the pitch.

“To be totally honest, I was embarrassed to walk into our clubhouse after the game.  I told our players exactly what I thought as well.

“We have no game next midweek so it will be 100% back to basics on the training field,” added a deeply disappointed Steve.

Right from the first whistle, Guisborough were a poor second best to a West Auckland side, who had started the day level on points and one place behind in the league table to the Priorymen, who also had two games in hand.

But by the time the final whistle sounded, West had recorded a resounding 4-0 victory and had leapfrogged the Priorymen in the league table.

Guisborough actually managed to stay level with West right up to the first minute of added time at the end of the first half when the visitors took the lead through James Harrison.

Just five minutes earlier the Priorymen had almost taken the lead when a high cross-cum-shot from Dylan McAvoy dipped at the last second and clipped the top of the West bar before the loose ball was cleared.

After the interval West continued to dominate and they doubled their lead in the 62nd minute when Harrison scored his second goal, lashing home on the volley at the far post.

Nine minutes later Harrison completed his hat-trick when he smashed the ball home from 12 yards out.

The three minutes into stoppage time West made it 4-0 when Josh Scott latched on to a long through ball, rounded Guisborough ‘keeper Robert Dean and shot home into an empty net.  Sadly, an excellent crowd of 347 had witnessed the capitulation of the Priorymen.

Report: Bill Perfitt