Guiseley manager Steve Kittrick has expressed his delight at securing the signatures of Wayne Brooksby and Gavin Rothery.

The contracts of both midfielders were due to run out at the end of the current season, but Brooksby, 22, has now put pen to paper on an extension until May, 2014, while 25-year-old Rothery’s deal runs until May, 2015.

“It is good for the club, it is a statement of intent and it is great that they want to stay with us,” said Lions boss Kittrick.

Guiseley’s chief executive officer Adrian Towers added: “This is important news as the club seeks to build a squad for the coming season.

“We also want to get to the point where we avoid the annual merry-go-round of talks in January and at the end of the season by signing up as many players as we can on longer contracts.”

Rothery was on target on Saturday with a penalty as the Lions defeated their Blue Square Bet North promotion rivals Brackley Town 3-1 at Nethermoor in a first-round FA Trophy tie.

The Lions will now play at prospective Evo-Stik Division One North champions Skelmersdale United (played 13, points 37) in the last 32 on Saturday, December 15, the Merseyside club having won their replay on Tuesday night 2-1 at home to Boston United – a game that was watched by Kittrick.

The Guiseley boss doesn’t necessarily buy into the reasoning that victory over Brackley last weekend will give the Lions a psychological edge when they meet in the league on March 2 (at Nethermoor) and April 6.

Kittrick laughed and said: “It was a better performance than Chester (Guiseley lost 4-0 away on September 8) and we are a good side – but so are Halifax Town, Brackley and Chester.”

Guiseley’s other goals against Brackley came from Nicky Boshell (also a penalty) and a special from Kevin Holsgrove.

The striker took the ball down the left channel, spotted that Brackley keeper Billy Turley was in no-man’s land and audaciously chipped the ball over him into the net.

When asked if it was Guiseley’s best goal of the season, a happy Kittrick said: “It was Kevin’s best!”

Holsgrove is one of six strikers at Nethermoor, and Kittrick said: “It is no good us playing three of them and leaving three of them out altogether.

“What I am trying to do is play some for 70 minutes and others for 20 minutes and then swapping them around the next game so that at least they are maintaining their match fitness.”

There is also no doubt that the abundance of forwards will come in useful if Guiseley get even more into a Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday scenario if bad weather strikes and cup runs continue. The Lions’ league match on Tuesday at home to AFC Halifax Town was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch, and on Saturday third-placed Guiseley are at rock-bottom Hinckley United, who have won only one match and lost the other 15.

“We will give them every respect,” said Kittrick. “I only have to remind our players of what happened at Ashington in the FA Cup last season.”

The LIons also visit Harrogate on Tuesday.