Guiseley are given harsh reality check

Ben Mills, on loan from Macclesfield Town, was the destroyer-in-chief with a hat-trick, and substitute Iain Howard added Chester’s fourth goal late on.

Mills, who has now netted nine in seven games, opened the scoring after five minutes.

Goalkeeper Steve Drench should have prevented Mills’s second in the 20th minute and, after James Walshaw hit a post for Guiseley, Mills completed his hat-trick.

FC Halifax Town, who had lost to Chester in midweek, responded with a convincing 2-0 victory at Hinckley United. The home side twice went close early on, but Halifax then found their rhythm and could easily have doubled their two-goal tally.

Gareth Seddon set up the first for Dale Johnson, who beat the goalkeeper from a narrow angle. Lee Gregory then atoned for an earlier miss by sprinting through and rounding goalkeeper Robert Peet for the second.

Manager Neil Aspin was delighted with the win and his side’s first clean sheet of the season.

Injury-hit Bradford Park Avenue suffered a second successive defeat as they went down 1-0 at home to fellow newcomers Brackley Town.

Michael Duckworth’s header was well saved by Brackley’s goalkeeper and Danny Holland had a ‘goal’ disallowed for offside as Avenue threatened to take a first-half lead.

But the visitors held out and two minutes after the break they seized the vital goal when Gary Mulligan headed home Owen Storey’s free-kick from 12 yards.

Harrogate Town made it successive away wins with a 3-1 victory at Histon.

The home side gained the lead after just two minutes, with a long-range effort from Jay Dowie which rolled under and past Jose Veiga.

However, Harrogate fought back through Chib Chilaka, who turned home Dwayne Samuels’s long throw, and an own goal by Harri Hawkins.

Harrogate sealed victory in the 72nd minute when youngster Luke Dean slotted home a penalty after being brought down when rounding goalkeeper Joe Mellings, who was shown a red card.