Guiseley 1 Gloucester City 4

THE Lions plummeted towards mid-table in the Vanarama Conference North after suffering back-to-back home defeats.

Gloucester City had not won on their previous five starts but they capitalised on the Lions’ fragility after Bank Holiday Monday’s 3-1 home reverse against Gainsborough.

The early signs were good for the home side with Adam Boyes looking dangerous up front but there was a warning when the Tigers had the ball in the net, Scott Wilson sweeping home after Steve Dickinson had parried an Adam Mann shot, before an offside flag came to the Lions’ rescue.

There was no reprieve in the 40th minute though when Wilson scored a solo goal, helped by a deflection.

Mark Bower’s men were undeterred and were on level terms at the start of the second half. Johnson was fouled in the area and Nicky Boshell netted the resulting penalty.

Gloucester retook the lead in the 54th minute and never looked back, Tigers’ leading scorer Charlie Griffin heading in a Billy Jones cross.

Guiseley should have been back in it but Johnson was guilty of a bad miss after good work from substitute Wayne Brooksby.

Griffin almost netted a 40-yard volley but he was denied by another great save from Dickinson.

Gloucester’s match-clinching third came when Matt Williams headed home a Billy Jones corner and ChrisJones wrapped up the scoring with a great run and shot from two yards outside the area.

Bower said: “I thought we had played well up until they scored their second. We got the ball forward quicker and created numerous chances, we just didn’t put any of them away.

“I’m bitterly disappointed but I think we have one or two players not where they were last season. I’ve got to look at what I can do, think about how I can do things better. In the space of a week we have gone from four clean sheets to conceding seven goals in two games, taking one point from three games.”