Squires Gate 6 Ashton Athletic 2: Happy homecoming as Gate extend winning run

SQUIRES GATE 6

ASHTON ATHLETIC 2

Squires Gate are up to eighth in the Hallmark Security League after this fourth straight win.

After a run of five successive away games, it was a welcome return to the Brian Addison Stadium for Gate against a side themselves on a five-match winning run.

Gate took an early grip on the contest with two goals in four minutes.

They led after two minutes, when Riccardo Egidi pounced on an Ashton mistake. Egidi kept his composure to shoot past keeper Martin Pearson from inside the six-yard box.

The hosts struck against when striker Ric Seear picked up the ball on the edge of the box and curled a shot low through a crowd of players into the bottom corner.

The goals seemed to wake Ashton up as Adam Gilchrist had two golden chances to grab a goal back for his side but couldn’t convert either.

First Gilchrist shot wide, then he forced a save out of Ben Fletcher before firing the rebound over.

Dean Ing had the chance to add to Gate’s lead from a free-kick in the 24th minute but headed over from inside the six yard box.

Gate got the third goal on the half hour mark as Ryan Charnley curled the ball into the bottom corner.

Gilchrist finally got his team off the mark on the stroke of half-time, when he was left unmarked at the back post and his header made it 3-1 at the interval.

Conditions began to deteriorate after the interval but still Adam Summer extended Gate’s lead seven minutes after the restart when his corner flew straight in at the near-post.

Summer was involved again four minutes later when his cross was turned into his own net by an Ashton defender to make it 5-1.

Ing had a goal ruled offside, after his initial shot was saved, and at the other end Dave Rossall was in the right place to clear after Ashton hit the bar from outside the box.

The visitors did reduce the deficit six minutes from time through Marcus Cusani but Gate had the final say, substitute Finley Clarkson pouncing on a defensive error to round the keeper and score in the 89th minute.

Gate: Fletcher, Gray, Rossall, Bamba, Sumner, Booth, Charnley, Ing, Boyd, Seear, Egidi. Subs: Clarkson, Salthouse, Mullen, Riley, Staunton-Turner.