GUISELEY took an early lead but ended up losing both halves 2-1 as Alfreton Town eased to a 4-2 win which saw the Derbyshire club knock Guiseley off second spot and leapfrog them in the early Vanarama National North table.

Billy Heath’s Reds were fresh from a 4-0 win over Guiseley’s neighbours Bradford (Park Avenue) and they netted four more at Nethermoor to climb above the Lions and into fifth place.

The game was shrouded in controversy as the decisions from the match officials were not well received by either side. But there had been no questionable decisions before the home side’s Aaron Martin netted a 19th minute opener.

A long through ball sent the in-form striker through and he collected the ball before taking it into the area and slotting past visiting keeper Jack Atkinson, the former Halifax and Park Avenue keeper.

The first disputed decision led to the free-kick that the Reds equalised from. They felt Danny Clarke had been hauled down while the home players were stunned that a free-kick had been awarded. Bobby Johnson remained cool and curled the set-piece into the top corner.

Alfreton edged in front ten minutes before the break when a neat backheel from Danny Clarke found Josh Thacker and the he slotted a low shot into the bottom corner.

Martin was denied a ninth goal in his sixth competitive game for the Lions by the crossbar, in the early stages of the second half, but the home side did get a second to draw level.

They were awarded an indirect free-kick inside the area after the referee had deemed that Atkinson had picked up a back pass. The Reds’ players were livid as they felt the last touch was from a Guiseley man but the free-kick was laid off to Jamie Spencer and he lashed a shot past Atkinson.

A disputed penalty gave Alfreton the chance to regain the lead with a quarter-hour remaining. Reds skipper Josh Wilde went down in the area and Amari Morgan-Smith, who netted a penalty in the big win against Avenue, slotted past Lions’ on-loan Bantams keeper George Sykes-Kenworthy.

Poor defending by the home side at a late corner allowed former Guiseley and Park Avenue defender Shane Killock a header. His effort was blocked but Clarke rammed home the rebound.

Guiseley joint manager Russ O’Neill said: “The score-line could have been anything.

“We didn’t start well but we took the lead and could have put the game to bed. We didn’t and we let them get back into it in that first half and then again in the second so we’re really disappointed with the result.

“It was difficult in that heat but we can’t blame the conditions – we were just not ourselves today.”

Guiseley are back in action tomorrow at Blyth Spartans (3pm).