GUISELEY bounced back from defeat at Marine on Saturday with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Whitby Town on Tuesday evening to reaffirm their play-off credentials.

Strikes from Gabriel Johnson and Liam Tongue, who scored a second half screamer, were enough for the Lions to come away with all three points in a game where both sides finished with ten men on the pitch.

The first meaningful chance of the game fell to the hosts in the 16th minute when they broke clear with intent through Alfie Doherty. He eventually steadied his nerve before feeding the ball across goal to fullback Connor Smith, but he blazed his shot over Battersby's bar from a tight angle.

Four minutes later Guiseley managed to create a chance of their own - Kallan Murphy getting a lucky break of the ball after a Whitby challenge - but Shane Bland was on hand to tip his effort around the post.

The visitors weren't to be denied moments later, however, as Johnson met a Tongue cross to guide the ball into the home side's net from two yards out.

Doherty then dragged an effort just inches wide of the Lions' goal as Battersby waited with his heart in his mouth for the ball to trickle past the post.

A game-changing moment arrived just before the interval as the referee had no choice but to send off Whitby's Josef Wheatley for an 'off the ball' incident.

In the second half the visitors could smell blood and after pushing to double their advantage, they soon did on the 68th minute, and what a stunner it was.

After sustaining a short spell of Whitby pressure, Tongue unleashed a fierce volley from 25 yards out and it left Bland with no chance of keeping it out, which subsequently gave the visitors a two-goal cushion.

The saying 'you're at your most vulnerable when you've just scored' often bears fruit and it did once again on this occasion.

Back came Whitby and they won a penalty after being tripped up by a Guiseley man only a couple of minutes later.

Former Lion Jacob Gratton stepped up to pull one back for the hosts from the spot.

With the clock ticking down Ollie Brown collected two yellow cards in a ten-minute spell to level the number of players on each side.

Whitby sensed an opportunity and with one of the last actions of the game, Battersby was forced into an eye-catching save before quickly smothering the ball to his and Guiseley's relief.

The referee blew up and the Lions held on to a valuable three points.

They remain in the play-off places (2nd-5th) but sit just two points above 6th placed Macclesfield who have two games in hand on Guiseley.

Up next for the Nethermoor side is a home game against Ilkeston Town on Saturday (3pm) on 'Non-League Day'.