Tow Law Town 2-2 Guisborough Town

Match Report

In a frantic last 10 minutes, Guisborough Town looked to have clinched a late victory when striker Jason Blackburn atoned for an 80th minute penalty miss to score in the 90th minute to put his side 2-1 up against bottom-of-the-table Tow Law Town on Tuesday night.

But alas gutsy Tow Law snatched a 94th minute equaliser to spark wild celebrations by their players, delighted to gain their first point of the season against the managerless Priorymen.

Earlier the Lawyers had taken a shock 25th minute first-half lead but Guisborough hauled themselves back on level terms in the 64th minute when second half substitute Muzzy Abdullahi’s lightning speed allowed him to poke the ball home past a startled Tow Law ‘keeper.

After the game Steve Dowling, Guisborough’s acting manager for the second time in the last five years, commented:

Losing our midfielder Max Craggs after just 15 minutes left the team a little disjointed up until the break. That said, I thought we were the better team for large portions of the first half but Tow Law were always a threat on the break, taking the lead from one such move.

But I thought we put up a much better performance in the second half and took a deserved 2-1 lead late in the game only for Town Law to equalise deep into time added one.

After parting company with managerial duo Steve Bell and Paul Crager at the weekend, Guisborough couldn’t have wished for opponents as weak as Tow Law who stood rock bottom of the table with a record of 12 games played and 12 thumping defeats.

However, they came out fighting against the Priorymen, perhaps sensing the managerial upheaval of the past few days at the KGV presented them with their best chance of the season so far to break their points duck!

And the Lawyers took a shock but deserved lead on 25 minutes when James Hughes rifled the ball home well beyond the reach of Guisborough goalkeeper Robert Dean and into the corner of the net and it stayed 1-0 to the home side until the half-time break.

A minute after the re-start Guisborough midfielder Joe Pickett almost equalised but his goal-bound shot was brilliantly saved by the Lawyers goalkeeper.

On the hour mark Muzzy Abdullahi came on for Kenzie Harker and made an almost immediate impact just four minutes later when Pickett put a beautiful pass down the left wing. Abdullahi was on to it in a flash and his lightning speed caught the Lawyers ‘keeper by surprise and he seemed to freeze as Muzzy toe-poked the ball home just inside the near post for 1-1.

In the 80th minute Muzzy once again created panic in the Lawyers’ defence with his speed and guile and he was bundled over for a stone-wall penalty to the Priorymen. However, up stepped Jason Blackburn but he hammered the spot kick high and it clipped the top of the bar and behind for a dead ball kick.

Thankfully Blackburn made up for his miss 10 minutes later when as Guisborough piled on the pressure on the Lawyers goal he smashed the ball home just inside the left hand post.

Just when it looked like the Priorymen would claim a much-needed 2-1 victory, Tow Law equalised in the 94th minute when first Guisborough ‘keeper Robert Dean pulled off an absolutely brilliant save to block a point blank shot but as the ball came back into the danger area Connor Lane rose high to head home a dramatic equaliser.

Guisborough’s next match is this coming Saturday, 21 September against Shildon in an FA Vase Second Qualifying Round tie at the Kevin Edward KGV Stadium.

Report: Bill Perfitt