19-07-14: Guiseley (a) 2-0 (HT 0-0) Crowd (2,200)

There was a visit on Saturday, 19th July 2014 to local side, Guiseley of the Conference North, who would be capable of giving much stiffer opposition than their only opposition to date. There was a capacity crowd of 2,200 on hand to see the game which hung in the balance until the final few minutes. David Hockaday, as in his only other game chose to give time to as many of his players as possible and his starting eleven was: Marco Silvestri; Zac Thompson, Tom Lees, Ross Killock, Charlie Taylor; Lewis Cook, Michael Tonge, Tommaso Bianchi, David Norris; Steve Morison, Souleymane Doukara. Ben Parker and Gavin Rotheray, two former Leeds players who had had their careers blighted by injury were in the Guiseley starting eleven. Adrian Holmes of Castleford was the referee. Both the Leeds strikers showed up well in the opening period but both put their shots wide. Tommaso Bianchi went close as he forced the Guiseley keeoer, Steve Drench, to palm his curling shot from outside the penalty area round the post. Lewis Cook was also showing all the skills which had made him a stand out for England's Under-Seventeen squad in winning the European Championship in the summer. His deft footwork created a chance for him to shoot on goal, but it went just over the bar. With ten minutes of the half to go Michael Tonge had a good opportunity to put United in front but he was inches over the bar. The home side did threaten twice during the first half and both times it was Danny Forrest who shot narrowly over and then just on half-time Zac Thompson made a last ditch tackle to thwart him. Early in the second half Jake Lawlor was just wide for the home side and then just before being substituted on the hour mark, Souleymane Doukara threatened once more, but his shot was charged down. David Hockaday sent on Sam Byram to replace Zac Thompson after fifty-five minutes, before replacing the other ten players after an hour. His second eleven became: Stuart Taylor; Sam Byram, Scott Wootton, Jason Pearce, Stephen Warnock; Rodolph Austin, Luke Murphy, Aidan White, Noel Hunt; Lewis Walters, Matt Smith. Both the Leeds strikers, Matt Smith and Lewis Walters went close in the final fifteen minutes and with United piling on more and more pressure with each minute ticking away, it was inevitable that something had to give. With four minutes left on the clock Jason Pearce met an Aidan White corner to head United into the lead. The victory was complete when in the final minute Matt Smith turned a Sam Byram cross past Steve Drench to let the score more reflect the run of play as United won 2-0.

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Match Report: Guiseley AFC: 19-07-2014

Leeds clinch friendly win late on

Two goals at the death from Jason Pearce and Matt Smith won the game for Leeds, but only after the Lions had pushed them all the way in an entertaining game at a packed Nethermoor. Playing their first pre-season game on English soil under their new first-team coach, ex-Forest Green manager David Hockaday, the visitors huffed and puffed in a languid first-half display that saw Steve Morison hit the side netting and Tomasso Bianchi bring a fingertip save from Steven Drench. For their part the home side went close, Danny Forrest shooting just over before being denied by a Charlie Taylor intervention. Wayne Brooksby’s cross-cum-shot was then diverted over his own bar by Ross Killock. The Lions nearly took the lead on the restart when a good move down the left resulted in Jake Lawlor putting his shot just the wrong side of the upright. Gavin Rothery tested the visitors’ new Italian keeper Marco Silvestri before Danny Lowe’s shot was blocked by a timely interception from Tom Lees. Drench once again showed his class to push Lewis Walters’s effort round the post but he was eventually beaten on 88 minutes by Pearce’s header, despite Kyle Harrison’s valiant attempt to stop the ball crossing the line. And then, with the last kick of the game, Smith converted Sam Byram’s low cross to round off the scoring. Guiseley Team: 1-Steven Drench, 2-Andy Holdsworth, 3-Ben Parker (Harrison), 4-Danny Lowe, 5-Danny Hall, 6- Jake Lawlor (Toulson), 7-Wayne Brooksby (Porritt), 8-Jack Stockdill, 9-Adam Boyes (Lee), 10-Danny Forrest (Marshall), 11-Gavin Rothery. Substitutes: 12-Ryan Toulson, 14-Oli Johnson, 15-Kyle Harrison, 16-Jameel Ible, 17-Luke Porritt, 18-Redmond Lee, 19-Callum Marshall. 20-Ben Walker, 21-Elliott Scott.