Guisborough Town 2-1 Whickham

Match Report

Guisborough Town Manager Steve Bell praised his team’s character and spirit when they came from behind to reel off their sixth successive victory as they completed a league double over Whickham at a windy KGV Stadium on Saturday.

The Priorymen went behind 1-0 on the stroke of half-time but in the second half a great header from Nick Hood and a superb Shabs Mohammed goal from one of his trademark free kicks clinched a win Guisborough just about deserved.

After the match Steve commented:

Ultimately this was a brilliant result for us today against a very good and very direct Whickham team. The conditions were tough for both sides with the strong winds sweeping across the KGV. We decided to play against the wind in the first half and Whickham definitely had the better of it in the first 45 – but I wasn’t happy with our marking for their goal just before half-time. In the second half, with the wind at our backs, we were a different side and fought back well.

Although a draw might have been a fairer result our character at the moment is second to none and it was that which probably got us over the line to win the game. I’m over the moon that we have kept our superb winning run going.

Guisborough’s sixth win on the spin consolidated their 5th position in the league – and they are now just three points off third place. The transformation in the Priorymen’s performances since team boss Steve’s ‘reverse psychology’ initiative has been nothing short of amazing.

After a run of disappointing defeats in September and the early part of October, Steve told his players before the home game against Crook Town on 22 October to forget about what had gone on before and treat that game as if it were the first match of the season. The Priorymen hammered Crook 4-0 that day and since then they have rattled off another five consecutive wins to climb out of the bottom 10 in the table to now the top five!

Unfortunately Guisborough’s match schedule faces an interruption with their match against Whitley Bay on 3 December postponed because of the Bay’s involvement in the FA Vase.

WINNING STREAK

So the Guisborough’s next match is not until Saturday, 10 December away to mid-table Tow Law Town when the Priorymen will be hoping to continue their current winning streak. Against Whickham Guisborough chose to play against the wind in the first half and in truth they struggled at times against the visitors’ direct, no-nonsense style of play. Whickham were unlucky in the 21st minute when a cross-cum-shot struck the bar.

They continued to press hard for the rest of the half and Guisborough had to thank goalkeeper Will Cowey for being alert and keeping out several Whickham efforts. But literally on the stroke of half-time Whickham’s pressure paid off from a corner which Dale Burrell headed home unchallenged for 1-0. In the second half, with the strong win in their favour, the Priorymen turned the tables on Whickham and they deservedly equalised on 58 minutes when skipper Nick Hood capped another commanding game by doing brilliantly to head home at the far post for 1-1.

Guisborough’s two full backs – Ollie Cann and Liam Miller – both were making good runs and putting over threatening crosses from the flanks but Whickham survived the mounting pressure until the 77th minute. The Priorymen were awarded a free kick – hotly disputed by Whickham – about 20 yards out and up stepped Man–of-the-Match Shabs Mohammed to bend a beautiful shot round the Whickham wall and just inside the left post for 2-1 to the Priorymen.

Guisborough almost increased their lead when leading scorer Cole Kiernan fired wide but they held on for victory despite going down to 10 men when defender James Frazer was unluckily sent off for a second yellow card.

Report: Bill Perfitt

Photos: Dan Clark