Vanarama National League: Guiseley 1 North Ferriby United 2

THE North Ferriby supporters arrived at Nethermoor with the air of condemned men and women but left with a spring in their step and smiles on their faces after defeating ten-man Guiseley.

The Lions let a lead slip before skipper Danny Lowe saw red, and they continued to contribute to their downfall with poor defending.

The Villagers gleefully grasped the points that lifted them off the foot of the table and dragged their hosts back into the fight to avoid the drop.

Guiseley are still above the relegation places, remaining 19th in the table, but their points cushion is now just one and they are only five better off than second-from-bottom Ferriby, who hauled themselves above York City thanks to Saturday’s 86th-minute winner.

It was centre back Jake Skelton who netted that late goal, drilling a low shot out of Lions’ keeper Jonny Maxted’s reach after a free-kick had been half-cleared.

It was good skill from the defender after the Villagers had levelled through a touch of good fortune.

Three minutes before the hour, Reece Thompson tried his luck from distance.

He hit the 22-yard strike well enough but it curled and then dipped in the vicious wind to leave Maxted flat-footed on his line.

It was Thompson who was involved in Lowe’s dismissal as the pair tussled for the ball near the corner flag.

The Villagers’ forward, who had earlier been denied by the woodwork, fell to the floor but the Guiseley captain was sent off for pushing him while he was down.

It had seemed that Guiseley’s unbeaten home run since September would be stretched when the home side edged in front just 12 minutes in against a side low on confidence after four straight league defeats.

Jake Cassidy chased a defender down before whipping a ball into the area that was hastily hacked for a corner.

The flag-kick was cleared as far as the edge of the area, and Will Hatfield rifled the ball into the bottom corner.

Lions boss Adam Lockwood was not pleased, saying: “We’ve lost because we let our standards slip, and the players in that dressing room are aware of that.

“We have kept those standards for 20 to 25 games on the trot and we didn’t do that, and to lose a game against a side around you in the league is frustrating, but you have to give North Ferriby credit because they have exploited that situation.

“They have won the game to earn themselves a massive three points. They got back into it with a wonder strike - it’s a great piece of individual skill from their lad - and Ferriby have capitalised on our errors.”

The sending off played its part in their win and it looked a soft red card.

Thompson said: “There was nothing in it really. We were scrapping for a ball and we both had our arms up and he caught me on the head as I went down.

“But then he leaned over and grabbed the back of my neck and I think the ref has sent him off because of that.”

Lowe was attempting to haul the striker off the turf, feeling he had gone down too easily, but Lockwood didn’t see any mitigating circumstances.

The Guiseley manager said: “Danny knows that he has put himself in a situation that he didn’t need to put himself in. His actions have given the referee and his assistant a decision to make.”