Guiseley AFC vs Ilkeston Town FC

Guiseley's unbeaten streak at home since January came to an end with a 2-1 defeat against Ilkeston Town, a result that left manager Andy Welsh pondering the fine margins that decided the game. Despite dominating possession and creating numerous scoring opportunities, Guiseley's failure to convert chances proved costly.

The Lions started energetically, with a missed opportunity early on as Gabriel Johnson's shot was saved by Ilkeston's goalkeeper, Matthew Yates, following a superb setup by Michael Afuye. Kallan Murphy was then denied on the goal line by a brilliant block from Llarell King. 

Guiseley seemed to have a lifeline when Murphy was fouled in the penalty area, but Johnson's penalty struck the crossbar, squandering a golden opportunity. Ilkeston capitalized on this stroke of luck when Thomas Cursons capitalized on a defensive lapse to give the visitors an unexpected lead.

However, Guiseley fought back and equalized through Jameel Ible after a well-delivered cross from Afuye. Despite their efforts, luck continued to elude Guiseley in the second half, with Murphy's deflected cross hitting the crossbar and bouncing off the line, much to the frustration of the home fans.

Ilkeston took advantage of Guiseley's missed opportunities, with Cursons scoring his second goal of the match from Lindon Meikle's cross, securing the win against the run of play.

Despite the disappointment, Welsh emphasized the importance of being ruthless in front of goal and tightening up defensively if Guiseley harbors hopes of promotion. The defeat served as a lesson for the team to learn from their mistakes and improve moving forward.

The final score stood at Guiseley 1-2 Ilkeston Town, with an attendance of 900 at Nethermoor. The Guiseley lineup included Ollie Battersby, Ollie Brown, Jordi Nsaka, Prince Ekpolo, Aidan Walker, Jameel Ible, Michael Afuye, Liam Tongue, Kallan Murphy, Gabriel Johnson, and Leigh Whelan.