Guiseley AFC 4, Torquay United 3

ANTHONY Dudley scored twice as Guiseley beat Torquay in a thrilling encounter which safeguarded their Vanarama National League status on an emotionally fraught evening.

Mark Bower’s men raced into a 3-0 half-time lead after obliterating Torquay with some delightful attacking football.

Oli Johnson lobbed home an opening goal inside the fifth minute with a neat right-foot finish which visiting goalkeeper Brendan Moore could only help into the net.

It was 2-0 when six minutes later when Adam Boyes’ shot was parried by Moore and Will Hatfield tapped home the rebound from inside the six-yard box.

Guiseley were utterly dominant and Dudley hit a low right-foot shot which rebounded back off the inside of a post.

Dudley found the net on the half-hour mark with an assured finish which saw him fire home a low shot.

Yet neighbours Halifax scored in first-half stoppage-time at The Shay to ensure they climbed above the Lions and put Guiseley back into the relegation zone at half-time.

Torquay, to their credit, were a side transformed after the break and they pulled two goals back by the hour mark to make it 3-2.

First, Nathan Blissett headed home a right-wing cross in the 53 rd minute and then Toby Ajala rifled home a second seven minutes later.

Yet Dudley produced another cool finish to make it 4-2 in the 73rd minute before the visitors struck again through Shaun Harrard in the 77th minute.

That ensured a tense finale but news emerged of Macclesfield equalising at Halifax to make it 1-1 and put the Shaymen back in the final relegation spot.

The scores there remained 1-1 and mean that Halifax were relegated as Guiseley secured their safety after a historic first season in the National League.