Barnoldswick 2 Squires Gate 2: Last-gasp Charnley strike completes another fightback

Dean Ing pulls one back for Squires Gate at Barnoldswick Picture: ALBERT COOPER

The visitors were two down after 10 minutes but Ryan Charnley salvaged a point in this North West Counties League premier division clash after Dean Ing pulled one back in the 75th minute.

Gate made one change to the side which sealed a first win of the season at Padiham last Tuesday, with Josh Pollard coming in for the injured Joey Mullen

It took the home side just six minutes to open the scoring, midfielder Andy Hill firing in from outside the box.

And they soon extended their lead as former Gate striker Ric Seear headed past Ben Fletcher.

Gate had a golden chance to pull one back on 15 minutes but centre-half Josh Westwood headed wide when unmarked at the back post.

Zac Dale twice came close for the home side. His low strike was saved by Fletcher and from the resulting corner Dale toe-poked wide.

Gate almost scored just before half-time, when Pollard released James Boyd but his chip over the onrushing keeper dropped wide.

The visitors looked a different side in the second half and Ing shot just wide when the home keeper hit a clearance straight at him.

The keeper was at fault for Gate’s opening goal, losing the ball outside the box to Riccardo Egidi. His flick found Luke Noble, who picked out Ing for a tap-in.

Fylde were pinning their hosts back and deserved their last-gasp equaliser, when Charnley fired a free-kick into the top corner from 25 yards.

Gate: Fletcher, Dodd, Rossall, Westwood, Higham, Turner, Charnley, Ing, Pollard, Boyd, Noble; subs: Pennington, Wyers-Roebuck, Burgess, Egidi.

An unhappy bank holiday weekend on the road for AFC Blackpool saw them follow Saturday’s 4-2 defeat by St Helens Town with a 1-0 loss at Atherton LR yesterday.

Dominic Barnes scored the only goal of this North West Counties League first division north clash a minute before half-time.