Pride poured out of Guiseley manager Mark Bower after the Northern Premier League side almost dumped Stevenage out of the FA Cup – a 5-4 penalty shoot-out win sending the League One side through to the second round after the two sides had drawn 1-1 after extra-time. 

But he also pointed to a huge amount of bad luck that he felt haunted the Lions. 

Bower said: “I’m really proud of the players, really proud. They put in such a monumental effort for us and showed good quality at times. 

"We restricted them to next to nothing. For the goal they scored, our lads are adamant it was handball. We scored a perfectly good goal first half that nobody in the ground saw a foul for bar the referee. 

“We don't feel we had any luck, it just didn't quite fall for us. 

“We had the better chances too, you forgot at times that there are 88 places between the two teams. 

“So I’m really proud, not just for the players but for the whole staff, everybody involved with the club and the great following we had down here. They made themselves heard. 

“It is just gutting we didn’t get what I thought we deserved.” 

Will Longbottom had grabbed an equaliser on 83 minutes, 30 minutes after Jamie Reid had put the home side ahead. 

In previous years, the sides would have gone back to Nethermoor Park for a replay but this year extra-time and penalties in the first game is the method of deciding ties. 

Two saves from Murphy Cooper ultimately sent Boro through and Bower believes that was always going to be the way they would win. 

“Yeah, we could have had a replay and they could have turned us over 3-0,” said the Guiseley boss. 

“Often with these games, you need to do it on the first attempt and these are the rules now. 

“We were a penalty kick away from being delighted.

"It just seemed that everything went against us, even the penalties were held at their end because their safety officer had said that it was unsafe for it to be at [the end with our fans]. 

"I've never ever heard that before. 

"Lots of things went against us but the lads kept going and I’m so proud of them.”