Mismatch

You never know quite what you’re going to get from a pre-season fixture. Teams are at different stages of preparation. They may be fielding trialists or new members of the squad may be getting used to things. Players are freely rotated to ensure even levels of fitness.

Today the mismatch that already exists between a professional League One set up and the semi-pro Northern Premier League (four steps further down the pyramid) seemed accentuated by Huddersfield Town (blue) being generally with it, and Guiseley (white) seeming to be just waking up from their off-season slumber. Fielding a trialist goalkeeper probably didn’t help. 

0-4 at half-time, and then 0-5 ten seconds after the restart, there was possibly some relief that it ended ‘only’ 0-7. 

We’ll see if Guiseley can pick themselves up for the visit of Bradford City next Saturday. Mind you, City also need a pick-up having gone down to a 2-0 defeat at Nephew #3’s Chorley.