REPORT: Squires Gate 0-2 Padiham (Lancs Trophy)

Squires Gate exited the Lancashire Trophy at the first time of asking when an experimental side lost 2-0 at home to Padiham

Manager Andy Clarkson handed debuts to keeper Jack Hargreaves, midfielder Jack Webster and striker Danny Squires as he looked to review the progress of his young stars at the club.

Gate showed bright starts early on and got in behind Padiham when Brad Jones sent over a cross field pass to Jordan Salthouse but he couldn’t get s cross into the box.

Padiham took the lead in the game after the 13th minute. After early pressure from Gate Padiham hit Clarkson’s side on the break and forced Jordan O’Mahoney into a last ditch tackle which the referee felt was a penalty. Liam O’Neill stepped up and fired past Jack Hargreaves to give the visitors the lead.

The visitors were again awarded a penalty on 30 minutes after another defensive error but this time Jack Hargreaves guessed the right way to save O’Neill’s second of the night.

In the first minute of the second half, Padiham doubled their lead. O’Neill again the thorn in Gate’s side. He picked up the ball outside the box before firing past Hargreaves with a shot with the outside of his boot.

The loss means Gate go back to concentrating on the league with games coming thick and fast, Andy Clarkson’s men host West Didsbury & Chorlton on Saturday.

Gate: Haregeaves, O’Mahoney, Rossall, Bamba, Sumner, Jones, Webster, Mullen, Salthouse, Clarkson, Squires. Subs: Fletcher, Seear, Wyers-Roebuck, Charnley, Riley.

Report by Mark Ashmore