Guiseley 4

Boston United 5

ROWAN Liburd bagged a hat-trick as Guiseley scored four at home but they still failed to win as Boston United plundered a five-goal haul.

It was an all-action game and a good one for the spectators but it must have been a nightmare for management and coaching teams of both clubs as both defences were porous.

The Pilgrims started the scoreboard clicking on the quarter hour mark.

A fierce shot from Andi Thanoj took a big deflection and crashed against the crossbar, foxing Lions goalkeeper Marcus Dewhurst and Gavin Allott tucked the rebound into the net.

Two goals in quick time saw the match turn in the favour of the home side.

Kayode Odejayi netted an 18th-minute equaliser with a back post header after a good cross from Cliff Moyo following a good build-up.

Just two minutes later Guiseley were in the lead as the Pilgrims’ defence split open and Liburd found oceans of space. He looked up and slotted low past the visitors’ goalkeeper captain George Willis.

But Boston hit back just as quickly as Jay Rollins was put through by a superb through ball from left back Ash Jackson and the striker did well to steer the ball past Dewhurst while off balance.

Before the half hour mark the Pilgrims were back in front and it was Rollins again, from close range after visiting centre back Lewis Gibbens had hooked the ball back into the middle of the six-yard box following a corner.

Guiseley came with inches of levelling the game five minutes before the break when Alex Purver latched onto a loose ball in the area following a effort that Willis parried but the midfielder’s shot hit the post and came back into play before being cleared.

On the stroke of half time Thanoj put in a late and dangerous challenge on Purver and, as the home crowd bayed for a red card, the referee deemed it worthy of only a yellow card, which he also showed to Liburd for his reaction to the tackle.

Liburd was back in the thick of the action two minutes into the second half when he slotted in to make it 3-3. The big striker tucked the ball into the gaping goal after a throw-in had been half cleared and driven back in.

Boston made sure of all three points with two goals in a five-minute spell late in the second half. Brad Abbott put them back in front with a powerful shot from the edge of the area as a half clearance dropped to him and Gibbens netted a diving header at the back post following a corner.

The Pilgrims ran the clock down but Liburd grabbed a consolation in the third of four minutes of time added on when he nodded in at the far post.

Joint Guiseley manager Russ O’Neill said: “The game ebbed and flowed but we gave some horrendous goals away.

“We’ve been struggling for goals so we opened up a bit and scored four but conceded at the other end. We’ve scored four goals at home and lost the game – it’s scandalous.

“It could have been 7-6 it could have been anything with two teams slugging it out but we’ve scored four and they’ve scored five so we’re on the wrong end of it.”