Vanarama National League

Guiseley 0

Gateshead 2

GUISELEY warmed up for today’s tough trip to Chester in the Vanarama National League with a second consecutive home defeat as Gateshead took the points away from Nethermoor.

Lions boss Mark Bower made changes after their 4-0 mauling by Aldershot the previous Saturday.

Rookie keeper Daniel Atkinson made his competitive debut between the sticks, Tom Craddock played as a lone striker as Adam Boyes dropped to the bench, and Will Hatfield and Zac Thompson both started in midfield, Ryan Toulson returning at right back in place of Hatfield.

Once again it was a closely-fought contest but one in which only one of the sides took their chances.

Wayne Brooksby had two shots well blocked, and Thompson was denied by the visitors’ keeper, as was Nicky Boshell from a well-taken free-kick.

But Gateshead weathered that and then broke the deadlock with their first real chance of the afternoon.

Danny Johnson fired past Atkinson in the 39th minute, and when the same player struck again just two minutes after the interval it made it a difficult task for Guiseley.

Bower said: “I thought the performance was better but we didn’t finish our chances.

“We were strong and quick and first to every second ball – we controlled long spells of the game.

"But they were clinical, and I think from where we’ve come the quality of the finishing is the biggest difference at this level.

“Poor defending by us handed them two chances and they took them, we had plenty and couldn’t take one.

"These are harsh lessons but we’ve got to be better in both boxes."

Chester will go into today’s game in good spirits after their 2-1 win at Macclesfield Town on Saturday.

The victory lifted them to seventh and raised their points total to 11, while Guiseley are now 15th with just seven points.