FA Cup: FC Halifax Town 2 Guiseley 2

MARK Bower’s Lions and Darren Kelly’s Shaymen will have it all to do again tomorrow (Tuesday) as they try to reach the first-round proper of the FA Cup after Guiseley came from two goals down at The Shay.

A late brace from Adam Boyes rescued Guiseley after a poor first-half performance and it puts them, and FC Halifax Town, into today’s (Monday’s) draw, which will be held at Thackley FC’s Dennyfield after their junior section was chosen to host it.

Bower is looking forward to the draw but knows there is work to do.

He said: “We weren’t great in the first half but they were gifted two goals – one by a refereeing decision and one from us.

“We would have taken 2-2 at half-time but we had chances to win it, so overall I’m a little disappointed.

"It was a bit off the cuff for us in the second half when we brought the substitutes on. We weren’t playing to any kind of formation that we have worked on.

“We have got four wide players out through injury, suspension or cup-tied, so we were a bit hamstrung by that.

"But Boyesy got two great goals as the lads bounced back from that first half and we’ve done enough to feel we have a chance of progressing tomorrow.

“That is three games unbeaten for us now and I hope it will be a good draw, for both teams, to add to the carrot of going through. I’m looking forward to it and to the replay.”

Halifax were very good early on and broke the deadlock through a 14th-minute free-kick that the visitors disputed.

Town’s Sam Walker gave Lions keeper Steve Drench no chance with his superb delivery from the edge of the area.

Guiseley had a good chance to equalise before the Shaymen doubled their lead late in the first half.

Boyes got to a good cross but planted his header at Matt Glennon, and moments later an error by Jake Lawlor allowed Kingsley James through and he chipped Drench.

Even after the break, it took Guiseley a while to get back into the game, but as Bower began to make his changes there was hope.

Boyes then hit a five-minute brace, slotting past Glennon in the 73rd minute and then slipping the offside trap to lift a shot over the home keeper.

It could still have gone either way as both sides forced late chances.