Guiseley boss Steve Kittrick has challenged his side to put together a winning run after their 2-1 victory at Gainsborough Trinity on Tuesday night.

The result helped erase memor-ies of the painful 3-0 Skrill North defeat by Solihull Moors at Neth-ermoor on Saturday, which had seen the manager slam his team’s lack of commitment.

He had fumed: “A lot of Guiseley players who put a shirt on today have got to go away and think if that is what they want.”

But his mood was a lot happier after the Lions opened their account in midweek thanks to impressive strikes from Wayne Brooksby and Gavin Rothery.

Kittrick said: “It is nice to get some points on the board but it would have been nice to have kept a clean sheet. That late goal flatt-ered them.

“It could have been four or five as Gavin Rothery hit the bar, and it was good that both he and Wayne Brooksby got off the mark.

“It is a step forward and now we have got to do the same at Colwyn Bay on Saturday and at home to Workington on Monday.”

Kittrick decided to go with ex-perience against Trinity and it paid off. He opted for a strike force of Craig Hobson and Phil Marsh, despite having questioned the latter’s commitment after the Soli-hull defeat.

He said after the Nethermoor game: “Phil Marsh has been poor, Phil Marsh has been told he has been poor and has got to get his finger out. Twelve months in football doesn’t pay your mort-gage for the rest of your life.”

It was stinging criticism but Marsh responded with a strong performance, and Kittrick was keen to sing his praises. “Phil Marsh has set his standards now. He has got to get his head round it and keep doing the good things,” he said.

“He could have scored a goal. He tells me he wants to play on Sat-urday and wants to play with Guiseley, which is good for every-body.”

Kittrick has high hopes for Marsh and Hobson as a strike duo. The two were a big hit at Staly-bridge Celtic, and Guiseley are hoping the strikers can come up with the goals again.

The powerful Hobson limped off after 50 minutes at Gainsborough with a groin injury.

Kittrick explained: “He suffered the injury in training and we have been trying to nurse him through.

“He is a big unit and he occupies two players. I think he will get better and better.”

In going for an experienced line-up, Kittrick had to relegate some of his promising youngsters to the bench, but he believes it may have shown him the way to help them come to grips with playing at Skrill North level.

He said: “I looked at young Jake Scott from Barnsley, who has not played at this level, James Burgess hasn’t played at this level and young Adam Priestley.

“It is a massive step up for them but they will get their opportuni-ties. Burgess has done well when he has come on and Adam has too.

“It might be the way forward to get them into games and get them more game-time.”

As for what squads he will select for Saturday and Bank Holi-day Monday, Kittrick said: “It depends if players are affected by in-juries but it was good for Steve Drench to make that save in the first half on Tuesday as he was down after last Saturday.”