Charnock Richard 5 Squires Gate 2: Match report

They have won their first two games in the Hallmark Security League premier division after back-to-back promotions and were five goals up before Gate gave the scoreline a little respectability in the final quarter.

Indeed the home side could have been ahead after 20 seconds had not Ben Fletcher made an alert save.

Gate had an early chance of their own when Dean Ing fired over but were behind after 10 minutes, when Carl Grimshaw headed home a corner at the back post.

Ing headed wide from Mike Hall’s free-kick but the hosts scored a second after 15 minutes, when winger Mark Woods fired across goal from the left.

The visitors did well to deny Charnock a third before half-time as Fletcher kept former Gate midfielder Joe Noblet’s curling effort out of the bottom corner and Grimshaw’s header was cleared off the line by Alex Colquhoun.

However, it took the hosts just two minutes to extend their lead after the restart, Luke Gibson advancing from the back to head home a corner.

Fletcher kept out one Charnock free-kick but they scored from another on 64 minutes, Grimshaw heading his second from Noblet’s cross.

Mark Buchan had a good chance for Gate but his shot was blocked and his side conceded again from a set-piece on 67 minutes, centre-back Gibson heading his second from a corner.

Gate were on the scoresheet two minutes later, when Buchan rolled the ball into an empty net following a defensive error.

It took the woodwork and a goal-line clearance by player-boss Danny Penswick to deny Charnock a sixth and it was Gate who had the final say, impressive substitute Jack Williams driving home his first goal from the club two minutes from the end.

Gate are yet to play at home in the league this season and are on the road again this weekend to Irlam.

MARK ASHMORE

Gate: Fletcher, Colquhoun, Carroll, Penswick, Douthwaite, Casey, Ing, Hall, Greenall, Moxon, Buchan. Subs: Smith, Green, Williams, Dawson, Thornber.