1874 Northwich 4 Squires Gate 1: Match report and reaction

Danny Penswick’s visitors had a nightmare start in Cheshire, falling behind after 24 seconds. When Gate lost possession on the right, a lovely ball was fizzed across the box for striker Tom Bailey to tap in.

Gate reacted positively and had a good spell of possession as Joe Noblet shot straight into the arms of keeper Greg Hall, then Ben Seear’s cross just eluded Brett Dawson.

Mike Hall then found Seear with an inch-perfect through-ball on 10 minutes but his curling shot was turned away for a corner by Hall.

Gate could count themselves unlucky to concede the second on 29 minutes, when their hosts were sent clear on goal after a pass rebounded off the referee. Jason Carey slotted his first for the club from inside the box.

The visitors continued to show determination, no-one more so than lone striker Dawson, who slid in to dispossess a defender but curled his shot over the bar.

Dawson got his reward seconds before half-time, when Gate countered from a home corner and Noblet found the striker in space to fire into the top corner.

Half-time came at the wrong time for Gate as the hosts regained the momentum to show why they are in the promotion race.

However, a Joe Griffiths save with his feet and a goal-line clearance by Jake Higham kept Gate in the contest until the 69th minute, when Lee Jones volleyed 1874’s third into the top corner of the net from a short corner. Griffiths denied them a fourth two minutes later, tipping Tom Bailey’s free-kick over the bar.

Bailey would score his second on 82 minutes, firing a penalty past Griffiths, who was adjudged to have tripped Jason Carey.

A frustrated Penswick said: “I thought we dominated the first half. A sloppy early goal, then a really unfortunate one cost us. But second half we may as well have stayed in the changing room. We were lazy and resorted to long balls. Our heads had gone and it could have been five or six.”

Gate remain 16th in the premier division and return to Cheshire on Saturday to face Barnton, who are below them on goal difference.

MARK ASHSMORE

Gate: Griffith, Carroll, Rossall, Alexander, Bamba, B.Seear, Hall, Penswick, Higham, Noblet, Dawson; Subs: Richards, Thornber, Haley.