GUISELEY'S trust in youth paid off once again on Tuesday night, as teenage striker Adam Haw netted a late goal to clinch a superb 2-0 home win over Chorley in the FA Trophy Second Round.

They will do well to go any further, as their third round tie on Saturday sees them visit National League heavyweights Stockport County.

Discussing how impressed he had been with youngsters like Haw and Nathan Newall taking their chances in the first team this season, Guiseley's joint-manager Russ O'Neill said: "They've done well, as it's a tough league, the National League North.

"Ours is a difficult model too, as many others in the National League are full-time, with big budgets.

"So we've got to find a way to compete and we know we have a good academy.

"We can pluck players well from the leagues below too, but often they can get lost to bigger clubs.

"It's difficult because we can't just sign those lads every two minutes either.

"But there's five or six who we're looking at to kick on, establish themselves in the first team and emulate their predecessors."

One youngster who is no longer at Guiseley is striker Kian Harratt, with the 18-year-old having been recalled from his loan spell by parent club Huddersfield Town.

O'Neill said: "Huddersfield have been really good with the way they've approached his whole loan spell.

"He needed regular football and he got that for five or six games with us.

"He's been one of the worst hit by Covid, and has had to endure three lockdowns of his own.

"It was stop start for him, but he did well in the games he had for us.

"We hope he's gone back to Huddersfield a stronger player and that he goes on to have a good career."

Someone with a bit more experience than Harratt is 25-year-old forward Kaine Felix.

He was superb in Guiseley's 4-2 win over Southport at the weekend and netted their opener with an audacious lob against Chorley.

O'Neill said: "We all saw what he was capable of last season, but it's been a bit of a struggle this year, with him picking up an injury that knocked him back.

"But hopefully he's getting back to where he was before, and we can start seeing him at 100 per cent."

Guiseley have now recorded back to back wins after a real struggle following their return from Covid-enforced isolation.

Victory over Southport lifted them out of the relegation zone, while the win over Chorley has set them up with an exciting clash at Stockport.

Asked if the game was almost a free hit for his side, O'Neill said: "Stockport are one of the favourites to win this competition, so it will be a really difficult game.

"This is an exaggerated example of what I mentioned earlier about bridging the gap to full-time teams, with their experience and greater expenses.

"They have a fine manager in Jim Gannon too, and their priority will be getting promotion to League Two.

"They have a big squad, so they can still do well against us, and we're looking forward to the challenge."