GUISELEY v SHILDON

FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round

The fourth qualifying round is a rarefied level for the likes of Northern League Shildon, a final hurdle before the first round proper, last reached by a team from that league in 2003 – by Shildon themselves. But opposition is stiff in the guise, so to speak, of Guiseley of the National League, four steps up.

The event warrants a rail trip via Leeds to the Yorkshire town and with the trains behaving well A Good Cup Run arrives in very good time, over an hour before kick-off. Time then to stroll up past Nethermoor Park to the White Cross Inn for an excellent hand-pulled glass of Hobgoblin, all the more welcome as the weather, though overcast, is unseasonably warm.

Refreshed, £10 gains entry to the ground and another £3 goes on the programme; pricey, but it is a glossy 56 page edition and showing it to an itinerant official entitles the holder to a free team sheet. With the sun now shining the pitch, well grassed and level, looks excellent; and the ground is tidy and well organised. In addition to a sizeable grandstand along most of one touchline there is covered standing opposite, and all around there are three or four steps of terracing enabling everyone to have a good view. Plenty of Shildon fans have made the trip and the attendance is later announced as nearly 800.

Apart from an early Shildon free kick that comes to nought, the action for the rest of the first half hour is firmly in the visitor’s half. At every opportunity Guiseley launch the ball high in a route one attack that gives the two big lads up front, Mike Fondop and Olukayode Odejaye every chance to use their height and strength against the Shildon centre halves. The tactic is supplemented by long throws from Darren Holden. How well the Shildon defensive pairing of veteran Kyle May and teenager Dominic Curl cope with the onslaught could decide the match.

That first half hour passes with a few alarms but without Shildon conceding; and getting some confidence from that, a rare attack provides Lewis Dodds with a chance from eight yards out. As he shoots keeper Jonathan Maxted is already at his feet to deflect the attempt wide for a corner.

The pattern of aerial bombardment continues to half time, still with no outcomes, relieved by the occasional Shildon break that produces nothing more than a scuffed shot wide from Adam Burnicle.

Guiseley start the second half in less frantic mode and when possession is turned over well forward on the right, the Shildon defence is caught out by a dribble and low cross that finds Fondop unmarked at the far post and free to tap home. Only minutes later another Shildon defender is pressured into giving up the ball deep and this time a square pass to Andrew Haworth enables him to run in and lift the ball calmly over the advancing Shildon keeper into the net.

The Shildon ship needs stabilising but Guiseley’s tails are up now. A through ball leads to a wrestling match between May and Fondop; May’s desperate efforts result in him hauling down Fondop at the cost of a penalty and (somewhat harshly, given the penalty award) a red card. John Rooney smashes in the spot kick and at three nil with only ten opponents on the pitch, Guiseley are home and dry.

For the remaining half hour of the game Shildon actually knock the ball about quite well, maybe because Guiseley are cruising, but once in their opponents’ half they never show any penetration. Guiseley play with the freedom the lead and man advantage allows and score at ten minute intervals. William Hatfield pokes one in during a goal mouth scramble; the same player takes advantage of a defensive slip in the box to slot in another; then just before the end Fondap gets the better of Curl on the edge of the box and hooks the best goal of the day into the top corner.

It has turned into the classic game of two halves and while Shildon can take honour from the first, prompting a precautionary announcement of the potential replay arrangements, Guiseley emphasised their status in the second and it is the National League team that will go into that coveted first round proper.