Vanarama National League: Guiseley 1 Woking 2

GUISELEY failed to inspire in their last Vanarama National League game at Nethermoor for the foreseeable future as a poor display saw fellow relegation-threatened club Woking ease to a narrow win.

The Lions’ fate has been confirmed for some time but Woking gave themselves hope by banking a maximum.

Guiseley’s first-half display was poor and, although the game was illuminated by a stunning goal from Lions’ forward Dayle Southwell in an improved second half, it was always on the cards that the Cards would come back to claim victory.

It was a game between sides who are clearly struggling and, although the Cards only won it by the odd goal, they were the better of the two teams that are low on confidence.

Woking broke the deadlock midway through the first half when Charlie Carter slotted past Lions’ keeper Joe Green.

Green’s opposite number Nathan Blake then had no chance of saving Southwell’s glorious strike just after the hour.

The Cards’ stand-in manager Jordan Goodliffe made a last throw of the dice and sent Richard Orlu on from the bench, and his first touch was a header to an 85th-minute corner that he planted past Green.

The defeat left the Lions four points adrift at the foot of the table with two away games left.

They travel to a Torquay United side, whose relegation was confirmed at the weekend, and then head to Boreham Wood on Saturday.

Guiseley’s caretaker boss Sean St Ledger was not happy with what he saw and says the players who will be involved in the remaining games will be the ones he expects to be at Nethermoor next term.

Following the defeat, St Ledger said: “I have to give credit to Dayle and Rowan (Libird) because I told them they weren’t good enough and that they would be coming off in five or ten minutes if they didn’t buck their ideas up and, to be fair to them, they did.

“Obviously Rowan held the ball up a lot better and the goal that Dayle scored was a fantastic individual effort, but again he hasn’t played for 35 to 40 minutes.

"It took us 32 minutes to string two passes together and that’s just not good enough at this level.

“Told them at half-time that it’s just not good enough but that’s been said too many times this year. The players know it but they’re the only ones who can go out there and change it.

“The players who I think will be here probably next year will be the ones that will play the last two games.”