Congleton 0 Squires Gate 0: Splendid spirit of 10-man Gate

Bidding for a third successive victory, Gate manager Luke Evans was forced into two changes for this premier division contest as Isaac Abankwah and Jack Iley replaced Ryan Riley and James Boyd.

Gate started brightly in the torrential rain and Iley's looping effort on seven minutes was tipped away for a corner after clever work by Jacob Ridings.

The hosts went close when Gate keeper Mike Hale misjudged a corner, which caught the wind, but the chance was headed wide.

Hale showed his class just three minutes later, making a superb reaction stop to thwart a slick move from Congleton.

Gate rallied as Saad Mekkaoui-Abouzaid countered at pace to set up Dean Ing on the left of the area but his powerful effort was blocked.

The hosts drilled two free-kicks wide before half-time, the second of which followed the dismissal of Mekkaoui-Abouzaid, who was shown a straight red card for denying Congleton a clear goalscoring opportunity after Gate lost possession in their own half.

Predictably, Town had more of the ball in the second half but Evans' side were well organised, with Josh Westwood and centre-half partner Cam Courley solid.

Ing was now Gate's sole attacker but he continued to threaten, seeing a shot deflected wide on the hour.

Hale tipped a powerful effort over, then at the other end Ing curled an effort agonisingly too high after good work by substitute Max Rogers.

Gate frustrated the home crowd by soaking up the pressure and they almost scored a late winner against the run of play. A mix-up at the back saw a defender go close to an own goal under pressure from Ing.

The hard-earned point lifted Gate a place to 14th, while Congleton remain third. Evans' side welcome Runcorn Town to the Brian Addison Stadium on Saturday. .

Gate: Hale, Abankwah, Higham, Mekkaoui-Abouzaid, Gourley, Westwood, Ridings, Webster, Iley, Ing, Feeney; Subs; Welsh, Garrett, Rogers, Burgess, Bartram

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