Report by: Joe Priestley

It wasn’t quite meant to be in the North-East for Guiseley, as they were forced to settle for a point courtesy of a 94th minute Sam Hodgson equaliser.

Few could say Morpeth didn’t deserve a goal following their first half performance. Hodgson and Noble squandered early chances for the hosts and Ollie Battersby put in a man of the match performance to keep out a constant barrage of Morpeth efforts as Guiseley failed to really take hold of the game in the opening 45.

However, if Morpeth took the first half, it was Guiseley who took the second half by storm. Substitute Gabriel Johnson, who’s presence completely reinvigorated a Guiseley side who had before been second best, had the first chance of the half with an acrobatic effort that grazed the bar, and Ollie Brown came close soon after as Guiseley grew into the game.

A further chance fell to Kallan Murphy, who almost found the bottom corner, before Morpeth’s Andrew Johnson forced Battersby into another quality save, as Morpeth looked to hit back at an ascending Guiseley side. The game opened up from here, with chances falling to Foalle for the hosts and Gabriel Johnson being denied by Lowson in the Morpeth goal, following a mazy run infield.

On 77 minutes the much-desired breakthrough finally came, with Guiseley edging their way in front courtesy of a Reece Kendall strike at the end of an onslaught of Guiseley pressure, and it looked as if Morpeth were going to capitulate further from here following a red card for Noble in the Morpeth midfield after a moment of madness.

Yet, Morpeth refused to be deterred and Sam Hodgson managed to bundle the ball home with virtually the last kick of the game and secure the home side a point in the process.

It will sting for all those who made the journey from Guiseley to concede so late on, but hardly any neutrals would call a draw in a game of two halves an unfair result.