Guisborough Town 2-1 West Auckland Town

Match Report

Guisborough Town took their winning run to four victories on the trot when they completed a dramatic league double over old rivals West Auckland at the KGV Stadium on Saturday.
Both teams played their full part in producing a pulsating game played at full throttle, particularly in the second half which was richly-appreciated by an excellent KGV crowd of 279.

The Priorymen came from behind to win with an 89th minute goal from leading marksman Cole Kiernan, bringing his season’s tally to an impressive total of 18 when he gleefully smashed the ball home to complete a thrilling 2-1 victory which had the Guisborough fans in raptures.

Just eight minutes earlier, Guisborough defender Nick Hood had cancelled out a 69th minute West Auckland goal with a superb header to bring the scores level at 1-1 before Kiernan’s late winner clinched victory and three points to lift the resurgent Priorymen up to fifth in the table. After the game a delighted Guisborough Town Manager Steve Bell commented:

This was a great win today. In the first half we probably controlled most of the play without really threatening and 0-0 at half-time was just about right. The second half continued in a similar vein until we conceded a goal to go 1-0 down. But from that point on we were brilliant. We rallied together and our brilliant team spirit shone through brightly.

To a man the lads fought back superbly and after our equaliser I always sensed that we were going to come out on top. West Auckland hadn’t been beaten since September so today’s victory was a really good statement for our Football Club.

After an even but relatively uneventful first half, the action hotted up appreciably after the break with Cole Kiernan having a 53rd minute shot deflected wide and from the resultant corner Jordan Fielding got up well but his header was blocked on the West goal-line. In the 62nd minute Guisborough goalkeeper Will Cowey continued his run of recent excellent form when he pulled off a superb diving save to prevent a West shot going in via the top right hand corner.

On 67 minutes Guisborough produced some great play down the right and substitute Jason Blackburn pulled the ball back to Kiernan in the middle but the West ‘keeper produced a good save to keep out the prolific scorer’s effort.

ROARED BACK!

Then in the 69th minute West surged into the lead when defender Matthew Wade came up for a corner and scored as the was swung across the Guisborough goal from a corner. West’s lead, however, lasted only eight minutes as the Priorymen roared back with a brilliant header from defender Nick Hood who used all his height to soar high and head the ball into the top left hand corner, capping off another fine individual performance.

Stung by this stunning Guisborough equaliser, West Auckland rallied and the Priorymen had to thank ‘keeper Will Cowey twice in quick succession – firstly in the 82nd minute when Scott Heslop forced a good low diving save from Cowey. Then a minute later Jordan Blinco hit a rasping 25 yard shot which Cowey got a vital fingertip to and the ball – agonisingly for West – hit the underside of the bar and bounced clear.

With time ticking away Guisborough piled on the pressure in search of a winner and it came in the 89th minute as the Priorymen swarmed all over the West goal and Liam Miller supplied a great ball to Kiernan who took his time to pick his spot inside the right hand post for a famous 2-1 victory for his side. Overall, it was another terrific team performance by the Priorymen with every single player playing his part in a fine victory, enjoyed immensely by the home fans!

Meanwhile, Guisborough’s next game is a tough one away to Newcastle Benfield next Saturday, 19 November.

Report: Bill Perfitt
Photos: Dan Clark

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— Guisborough Town F.C. (@guistownfc) November 12, 2022

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— Guisborough Town F.C. (@guistownfc) November 12, 2022