• Survival Battle:

Guiseley come into this fixture off the back of a shock 2-0 win at Kettering on Tuesday night, the perfect start to the post-Bignot/O’Neill era. Under returning cult hero Steve Kittrick, The Lions will be looking to overturn a horrendous run of recent form, with losses to fellow relegation battlers Farsley and Gloucester seemingly dooming them to the drop. However, with a new manager and a clear goal, the bottom side will no doubt head into Friday wanting to make a statement.

  • Bogey team?:

Recent history hasn’t been kind to Guiseley against The Heed, with their only victory in recent memory coming in November 2019, a 3-2 victory at the Gateshead International Stadium. Aside from that however, results against Gateshead have been hard to come by, with a few losses and a 2-2 draw in February 2020 in which they were 2-0 up being of note. With this in mind, Guiseley will want to break the streak and make the record a little easier to read after Friday.

  • Key Player:

Despite their struggles, Guiseley still possess some notable names in their squad, one of which is young forward Josh Stones. The England Schoolboys International is a product of the club’s renowned academy and has become a regular name on the team sheet, with his most recent contribution coming in the form of an assist on Tuesday night. Known for his pace, Gateshead will have to work hard if they’re to stop the youngster from causing problems.

  • Title charge:

In contrast to their opponents, Gateshead are in hot pursuit of the league title, with only Brackley standing in their way. Mike Williamson’s side have been in the title battle all season and are no doubt the favourites heading into Friday. With the quality of players they possess, combined with their already impressive season, the Heed will go into this fixture determined to keep up with Brackley after their recent defeat to the table-toppers, whilst also having an impact at the other end of the table.

  • A late slip-up?:

Whilst still being in the title race, Gateshead haven’t made it easy for themselves. In addition to their aforementioned loss against Brackley a couple of weeks back, The Heed were also held at home by Bradford (Park Avenue), and have conceded frequently to bottom-end sides such as Telford and Gloucester, with them only gaining a point against the former in their recent fixture. With this in mind, they’ll be looking to quickly dispose of this record and keep up the pace should they want to lift the title next month.

  • Key player:

Without a doubt the key player for Gateshead is Macauley Langstaff. The forward is enjoying perhaps the best spell of his career, boasting an incredible record this season of 26 goals and 13 assists, a testament to his own personal ability, as well as the skill of the team around him. With a Guiseley defence that is already struggling, many have no doubt that Langstaff will emphatically add to his ever-growing tally at Nethermoor Park.

  • Final Thoughts:

Both The Lions and The Heed are eager to make a statement at either end of the table and will be determined to do so. The two teams both nothing to lose and everything to gain at this late stage of the season, meaning Friday’s fixture could be one of the most important games of the entire season.