FC Halifax Town: We're a real handful on our day, says Guiseley skipper Lowe

Like Halifax, The Lions have won one, drawn two and lost two of their first five games this season, and won their first match of the campaign last time out, with The Shaymen beating Solihull Moors 1-0 and Guiseley overcoming Torquay 3-2.

Lowe believes Guiseley have shown their potential in glimpses this season, and says they are a match for anyone if they play to their best.

“It will be good to go back,” Lowe said about returning to The Shay. “I’ve got nothing but good feelings for the club, I had a very successful time there in my career.

“The fans were good with me and I’ve shown them respect back.

“When you go back to an old club you never want to lose, and I’m confident.

“We’ve got a lot of quality, it’s just a case of getting that consistency.

“Tranmere kept the ball well against us but we had the better chances. They struggled to contain us when we were at it, and it’s just getting as close to that as you can every game.

“We’ve played well in one half then dipped. If we can put everything together it doesn’t matter who we are playing.

“If we’re bang at it then we are a real handful and we can give every team in this league a game.”

Guiseley drew 2-2 with Ebbsfleet on the opening day before back-to-bsck defeats against Gateshead and Aldershot, who beat them 6-0.

But since then they have drawn 0-0 with Tranmere and beaten Torquay.

“Against Gateshead we should have got something out of the game but we lost off a set-piece,” Lowe said.

“Against Ebbsfleet we did well in the first-half but we never got going in the second-half.

“So we’ve been up and down and we’ve struggled to find consistency but we got our first win on Saturday and that was important.

“Everybody knows you need to get that first win on the board as soon as you can.

“We didn’t play that well but we showed good character, which is a good sign.

“We’ve got to use that win as a platform and kick on now.

“It was nice to win like that, although it’s a cruel way for Torquay to lose.

“We were bitterly disappointed with the manner of the three points. We were 1-0 up without really playing well and then found ourselves 2-1 down, and we have to be better than that.

“Against better teams you don’t get the chance to come back into it.”

Lowe is adamant that Guiseley are a better side than they were last season, when they stayed up on the last day of the campaign for the second year running.

“We’ve got a stronger squad and it’s a lot bigger,” he said. “There’s more depth to the squad this season in a lot more areas, whereas last year we were a bit short in certain areas.

“The competition for places is good and the lads that aren’t playing easily could be.

“We concentrate on working hard and being hard to beat.

“We’ve created enough chances so far but we just haven’t taken them.

“Our main objective is to work hard and be hard to beat, that’s what we build off. “Once you get the fundamentals right everything else will take care of itself and your quality should show through.”

Lowe was at The Shay for Halifax’s play-off semi-final and final last season.

“I still keep a look out for their results,” he added. “I know they haven’t been scoring much but they have been keeping clean sheets and they’ve got a good defensive record so that looks to be their main strength.

“We’re both coming into it in similar for, and on the back of our first wins, so it’ll probably be a boring nil-nil!”