Guiseley 1 Witton Albion 1

Albion edged a little close to the league UniBond League title despite being faced with a heavy pitch, which was hardly to their liking, on Saturday.

Guisley’s James Hanson and Albion’s Dave MacPherson, beginning a man of the match performance, had the first efforts.

The also impressive Simon Sturdy also went close to goal - and even closer to a yellow card when making a lunge at MacPherson, as the game warmed up.

Goalkeeper Piotr Skiba thwarted Rod Thornley as Albion increased the pressure. They almost went in front when MacPherson’s shot slithered through Skiba's hands, but a defender hacked the ball off the line.

Shots from Mark Peers and MacPherson struck home defenders, Skiba went full negth to save from Peers and an Adam Warlow lob dropped wide.

Albion got their noses in front in the 63rd minute when a corner-kick was only cleared as far as Alex Brown waiting 25 yards out and he sent a low purler of a shot through a mass of players wide to the right of Skiba.

The home side responded immediately but Hanson again was found wanting sending his effort outside the far post. With 15 minutes left Jon Kennedy showed why he is far and away the best stopper in the League, diving to his right to palm substitute Lee Tuck’s shot out for a corner.

Albion’s own substitute Kevin Rapley’s first touch of the ball saw him win the ball superbly and set fellow substitute Tony Evans in on goal only for the former Skelmersdale marksman to shoot straight at Skiba.

Albion looked to be holding on as the match entered the three minutes of stoppage time but when a free-kick was launched into the area the ball was cleared as far as Lee Pugh to the right of the area. Now in his own words he said to Albion defenders later it was an intended cross, if that was the case he didn’t do himself justice as he fairly smacked the ball into the far top corner of the net.

The coach load of Wittoners, who’d endured a time consuming journey through the horrendous traffic problems both at home and in West Yorkshire, only arriving five minutes before the start of the match, were then forced to have to wait until 7pm for a relief coach to be sent out.

WITTON: Kennedy; Coo, Pritchard, Barras, Brownhill; Peers, MacPherson, Lloyd (Brodie 63), Brown; Warlow (Evans 70), Thornley (Rapley 79).

Att: 411