Cammell Laird 1907 1 Squires Gate 3

Gate were boosted by the signing of defender Seydou Bamba, who previously played for the club two seasons ago. His returned freed player manager Danny Penswick to push up into midfield.

The winless hosts started brightly but Gate began to settle and play good football, though the offside flag thwarted two promising attacks.

They made the breakthrough on the half-hour, when striker Brett Dawson saw his shot saved but reacted well to set up Buchan, who fired into the top corner.

Keeper Ben Fletcher denied Laird an equaliser four minutes later, diving full-length to tip a header around the post. Dawson was causing the defence plenty of problems but he drove straight at the keeper on 39 minutes as the first half ended at 1-0.

Dawson continued to win free-kicks in dangerous positions but Gate couldn’t score again until the 59th minute, when Dawson rounded the keeper from Ryan Tanser’s through-ball for a deserved goal.

Laird were back in the game 10 minutes later, winning a penalty from a corner which player manager Neil Prince slotted past Fletcher.

But Gate sealed victory with a penalty of their own on 76 minutes, Buchan scoring his fifth in three games after Dawson had been tripped.

Tomorrow (7.45pm) Gate are at home to Barnoldswick, who stand above them on goal difference.

MARK ASHMORE

Gate: Fletcher, Stayte, Carroll, Bamba, B.Seear, Penswick, Noblet, Tanser, Riley, Dawson, Buchan. Subs: Richards, Higham, Gibson, Mckendrick, R.Seear

AFC Blackpool leaked five goals for the second match running. They lost 5-2 at Silsden, also relegated to the first division last season, both AFC’s goals being own goals.

The first of these came after only two minutes but Blackpool trailed at half-time to goals by Nicholas McNally (21 minutes) and William Storrie (28).

Silsden added three more in the second half through Christopher Wademan (57) and a Ross Wilson brace (72,89) to keep Blackpool in the bottom three.