BREATHING SPACE FOR LIONS AFTER A FINE WEEK

IN THE battle between the bottom two at 3pm, it was Guiseley who picked up their second victory of the week with a valuable victory over struggling Southport.

Substitute striker Michael Rankine struck the winner for the Lions eight minutes from time after Southport’s Jamie Allen had earlier cancelled out Jake Cassidy’s opener.

And it had Guiseley boss Adam Lockwood beaming afterwards, saying: “This builds our momentum, it was a good performance, we deserved the win.

“I’ve told the lads, this victory means more to me then the win over York, I’m delighted with the work ethic.

“We have to take all the pluses out of it and we will do, the substitutes made a difference, it was a pleasing day for me.”

Both sides created chances in an entertaining opening with Guiseley coming closest courtesy of Cassidy’s strike which cannoned off the angle of the post.

Southport too, however, went close when Ryan Higgins’ effort deflected off Danny Lowe and onto the crossbar, while Guiseley keeper Jonny Maxted had to claw away Andrai Jones’s header.

But, four minutes into the second half, it was Guiseley who eventually found a way through. Jermaine Hylton – on loan from Swindon – intelligently found Cassidy and the former Wolves and Oldham Athletic striker fired an effort into the corner of the net. Southport, however, weren’t finished yet, and almost found an immediate response when Josh Thompson’s cross into a crowded penalty area took a deflection towards goal and was hooked off the line by Jake Lawlor. But Steve Burr’s men were eventually rewarded for their endeavour on 69 minutes when Guiseley failed to clear from a corner and the ball fell to Allen, whose low shot trickled in past Maxted. This prompted a rousing finish but it was Guiseley who made the crucial breakthrough when Rankine, who had been on the pitch for a minute, powered his header home after good work by fellow sub Adam Boyes. Rankine could, and should, have wrapped up victory from the penalty spot minutes later after Will Hatfield had been brought down, but the experienced striker saw his spot-kick saved by Magnus Norman. Disappointed Southport boss Burr said: “It was a tight game, we had chances to score, it was an improvement from Tuesday, but we were naive defensively. “I’m looking at the table and it is frustrating. We have to make changes and it will take time, but we have to start now.”