GUISELEY are back in the play-off places in the Vanarama National North after a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Gloucester City that had the Lions’ fans raising the roof at Nethermoor.

Their home form has been poor and there were some grumblings from the spectators during the half-time interval after the Tigers took a single-goal lead into the break.

But the fans left the ground with a spring in their step after a very good second-half performance which included the return of striker Aaron Martin from a long injury lay-off.

Martin wasn’t on the scoresheet but he brought a spark that ignited the home side’s performance.

It had been a dreadful start for Guiseley as the Tigers grabbed a fourth-minute lead from a set-piece. Having forced a corner, Gloucester’s Joe Hanks delivered it deep and the Tigers’ centre back and skipper Liam Daly applied the headed finish at the far post.

The first half had a delayed ending after Hanks suffered a bad injury. Just into the first of the two minutes of time added on, the Gloucester man and Guiseley’s Aram Soleman collapsed after a clash of head.

Soleman was on his feet soon after but Hanks needed extended treatment and, although at one point he was sat up, he laid back down and after a six-minute delay he was put on a stretcher and carried from the pitch.

Hanks went to hospital for a scan before being discharged later on Saturday evening.

Guiseley had the home side under pressure early in the second half but they couldn’t make the breakthrough.

The visitors were running down the clock and the home fans were beginning to get agitated before Martin was introduced just after the hour mark, coming on for centre back Kennedy Digie in a change of system.

It was a change that had almost instant results as Martin broke in the 65th minute and cut the ball back. A subsequent shot was blocked but the ball fell to Gabriel Johnson whose shot was deflected across the six-yard box and drilled in by Kaine Felix.

The Lions sensed that the Tigers were vulnerable and they pushed for a second goal and almost had one when a Lee Shaw chip was deflected onto the bar.

The resulting corner did, however, lead to the winner as Johnson curled the flag kick into the goalmouth and into the net, maybe via the back of the head of Gloucester keeper Zach Jeacock.

Joint manager Russ O’Neill was delighted with the performance and the result. He said: “Gabby is going to claim a goal and an assist after that and who would argue.

“We had to come from a goal down and it was difficult but I think it just shows how much this group is improving. "We’ve won games recently that have been open games and we’ve scored more goals than the opposition.

“But this one wasn’t an open game, it was one of those that we had to grind out a result from but we won ugly and it was a big three points. For me it’s probably the biggest three points of the season so far.”