REPORT: Squires Gate 3-0 1874 Northwich

Squires Gate maintained their good start to the season with a second home win in a week, this time against 1874 Northwich.

Gate came into this game with an injury crisis hitting the squad with Joe Booth, Ric Seear, Gary Pett and Adam Sumner all unavailable. Manager Andy Clarkson recruited two new faces in the lead up to the game with midfielder Hyuga Tanner and James Boyd joining on a dual registration from Bamber Bridge.

Both teams came into the game in differing form with 1874 sitting 16th in the league with just three points. Gate came into this game up in 5th with ten points.

It was the visitors who started the first half the better of the two sides but didn’t test Gatekeeper Ben Fletcher in the opening exchanges. Gate who handed both new signings Boyd and Tanner debuts, took time to get into the game.

Gate’s first effort on goal came from one of the new midfielder, Hyuga Tanner. He burst into the box after 18 minutes but his shot curled the wrong side of the post.

Matthew Beadle had the ball in the net for 74’ after 23 minutes but his effort was ruled out for offside.

Gate started to come into the game on the 30-minute mark and went close twice. First Andrew Richards’s freekick was tipped over by keeper Matthew Green, before the corner was cleared by 1874 with Ben Reader challenging looking for his second goal in two games.

As the first half went on, Gate started to control the game more. Brett Dawson had the homeside’s best chance late into the half when he received the ball on the edge of the box before cleverly turning and shooting just wide.

Half Time: Squires Gate 0-0 1874 Northwich

Gate started the second half as they’d ended the first and opened the scoring after just 5 minutes. 74 keeper Matthew Green miss-hit his clearance straight to the feet of Ryan Charnley who kept his calm to roll the ball into the back of the net.

Brett Dawson, who’s closing down forced the first goal, came close on 56 minutes to doubling Gate’s lead. A deep corner from Gate fell to Dawson at the back post but the striker’s low drive was cleared off the line by a 1874 defender.

As Gate’s control of the game continued to grow, Andy Clarkson’s men were awarded a penalty on the hour mark. 1874 keeper Matthew Green was judged by the referee to have blocked the man ignoring the ball when Brett Dawson was closing the ball down. Green saw Red and Dawson dusted himself down to fire past midfielder Matt Woolley who was unlucky getting a hand to the ball.

The visitors had calls for a penalty waved away after 76 minutes when they felt one of Gate’s players had handballed the ball in the area, the ref though gave it in Gate’s favour much to 1874’s annoyance.

1874 came forward late into the game as Gate sat back happy with the 2-0 win but still couldn’t find a goal. A testing ball was sent across the face of Gate’s goal in the 90th minute but nobody in Green could get a touch.

Gate’s goal scoring for the wasn’t over when two of Gate’s substitutes combined late into added time. Hyuga Tanner found the run of Joey Mullen who’s shot was parried by Woolley in goal leaving an easy tap in for Finley Clarkson at the back post to make it 3-0.

The win for Gate lifts Andy Clarkson’s men upto joint third in the league, level on points with City of Liverpool. Gate are back in action at The Brian Addison Stadium on Tuesday night when they host Droylsden in an FA Cup reply, kick off 7:45pm.

Gate: Fletcher, Richards, Reader, Rossall, Kay, Gray, Tanner, Boyd, Riley, Dawson, Charnley. Subs: Mullen, Clarkson, Salthouse, Jones, Bamba.

Report by Mark Ashmore