Non-League Football: McHale in good heart: Guiseley seek FA double
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Your support makes all the difference.GUISELEY, the 11-2 outsiders in the last four of the FA Trophy, are seeking to become the first club to win the Trophy and the FA Vase. Last season's beaten Trophy finalists, Runcorn, stand between the West Yorkshire side and a return to Wembley, which they visited for the Vase finals of 1991 and 1992.
In 1991, Guiseley drew 4-4 with Gresley Rovers, and had a 3-1 win in the replay at Bramall Lane, Sheffield. The following year, goals were again on the menu, as they lost 5-3 to Wimborne. Now, they are chasing a double of success in the Trophy and promotion to the Premier Division of the Northern Premier League. Wednesday's trip to Scotland brought them a 2-1 win at Gretna, and a lead of eight points at the top of the First Division.
Guiseley are managed by Ray McHale, who played more than 500 Football League games for Chesterfield, Swindon and eight other clubs before having a brief spell as the manager of Scarborough. Tomorrow's first leg of the semi-final will be played at the Deva Stadium, Chester, as Runcorn's Canal Street ground is unavailable because of fire damage. The second leg a week tomorrow is all-ticket, with a capacity of 2,500 at Nethermoor.
Runcorn want to become the first club to play in successive Trophy finals since their Cheshire rivals, Northwich Victoria, achieved the feat 10 years ago. They will also want to wipe out the memory of last year's final, when they were outclassed in a 4-1 defeat by Wycombe Wanderers. At 6-4, they are the favourites to win this year's tournament, even though Woking, the other GM Vauxhall Conference team in the last four, are one place above the fifth-placed Runcorn in the table.
Woking expect to have their top scorer, Clive Walker, the former Chelsea winger, available after injury for tomorrow's first leg at home to Enfield. Graham Roberts, the Diadora League club's player- manager, is looking to make his first appearance at Wembley since his last cap for England a decade ago. 'It would be a very pleasing achievement, in my first full season in charge,' the former Tottenham defender said.
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