Whistle

The ninety minutes is up and referee Glen Hart (Co. Durham) blows the whistle for full-time.

Although it's been only two weeks since my last Guiseley game, in that time they've sacked manager Adam Lockwood and replaced him with Paul Cox, who just a few weeks ago was managing another National League team Barrow. That's football.

This was Cox's first match in charge of the team, and the visitors were Eastleigh, one of the nouveau-riche suburban southern teams that are keen to make their way into the Football League.

While the Hampshire tones of the visiting fans made me a little nostalgic for the New Forest branch of my family, Guiseley were in no mood to extend too much hospitality. New managers often start by keeping things tight, and encouraging more energy and pressing, and Guiseley were impressive in that regard. Eastleigh have been draw specialists this season and arrived unbeaten and proved difficult to break down. Guiseley should have grabbed a goal late on, but scoreless it remained. A solid enough start for the manager.

Returning home, the community garden was brimming with Red Admirals in the late afternoon sun - it's been the best year for them I can remember.