GUISELEY’S Under-18 Academy side notched up a wonderful FA Youth Cup win when they travelled to play Bolton Wanderers in the First Round last night.
Dave Currie’s young charges pushed themselves to the limit in a game which went all the way to extra-time.
The match was decided when Guiseley substitute Ethan Parker-Hudson rifled home a superb winning goal after a lung-bursting run.
The whole team were virtually out on their feet by the end, but the discipline Currie and coach Danny Ellis have instilled into the side saw them through.
It was a tough encounter, but Guiseley's desire to win was epitomised by their skipper Lewis Hey, who had made his first team debut as a substitute the previous evening at Boston United.
It was Hey who produced an 89th minute equaliser against Bolton, just as it looked as if the Young Lions' cup dreams would be ended.
Wanderers were a class above at times, with them having a full-time professional squad, but they hadn’t reckoned with the resilience and battling ability of the Guiseley side.
Bolton took the lead in the 23rd minute after a period of dominance, with Bright Amoateng finding space to twist and turn and then fire home.
This was the first goal Guiseley had conceded in the FA Youth Cup this season and it stung.
Chuk Molokwu, Harrison Leigh, Josh Calvert and skipper Ollie Brown had to be at their best defensively to stop the scoreline getting worse.
Guiseley pressed forward whenever they could but just did not have the guile to break down a solid Bolton defence.
Molokwu left the field for treatment for a bloody nose but returned to the fray to battle on.
Darwin King had two defenders on him all the time, but he thought he had bagged Guiseley the chance to equalise when the referee blew for a penalty after the keeper brought him down.
Sadly for King and his teammates, the linesman ruled him offside.
Hagie Damba stood big and strong in the Guiseley goal and made some vital saves as his side went into the break trailing 1-0.
Guiseley created some pressure early in the second half, as they introduced Ethan Parker-Hudson for Jnai Trought.
Hey was starting to control Guiseley’s play and he curled a free-kick in which the keeper palmed away.
Bolton weathered the Guiseley storm and worked their way back into the game, while the injured King was replaced by Harry Glover with three minutes of normal time to go.
But Guiseley were not done.
Hey seized his chance from 25 yards out to net a dramatic equaliser, which took the tie into extra-time.
The ball had come back out to him after Glover had chased the keeper down, forcing him to make a poor clearance.
And so to extra-time.
Leigh put in a great challenge to prevent a scoring chance for Bolton and this seemed to demoralise the hosts.
Tired limbs were getting the better of players on both sides and players were starting to go down with cramp, but Calvert typified Guiseley’s spirit, limping and shattered but still fighting for every ball.
The spirit of this Guiseley side was such that it broke Bolton and they succumbed to a superb winner from Parker-Hudson in the 104th minute, as he broke away at speed and lashed the ball into the net.
This galvanised Guiseley and they saw out the second period of extra-time superbly, despite Bolton pushing hard for an equaliser.
The game was watched by 1,199 people on the club's live stream and they were well and truly gripped by the drama of it all.
The Young Lions now eagerly await the draw for the Second Round, which will be made tomorrow at 1pm.
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