Glossop North End 1 Squires Gate 3: Hat-trick hero ensures a welcome win

Luke Evans’ men went into the game just five points behind their hosts and with two new signings on the bench in Domola Sotona and Lamin Jagne.

The first chance of the match fell to the hosts inside four minutes, Gate keeper Nathan Pennington making a strong save.

Kyle Campbell was thwarted at the other end before Gate broke the deadlock on 17 minutes.

A lovely move ended with Regan Crossley driving into the box and cutting the ball back to Cliffe, who turned and scored via a deflection.

James Boyd volleyed narrowly wide before Glossop began to apply pressure on the Gate defence.

However, just as they looked to be getting back in the game, Cliffe scored twice in three minutes to complete his hat-trick.

His second goal came on 35 minutes, showing pace and strength to burst through before finishing powerfully.

He then made it three by finding the bottom corner with a fine free-kick from 25 yards to leave Gate 3-0 ahead at half-time.

The second half began in scrappy fashion with chances few and far between for either side.

Gate limited Glossop to shots from distance, Pennington beating away Moses Yoak’s fierce effort on 69 minutes.

They remained three goals to the good going into added time, of which eight minutes were signalled.

Glossop pulled a goal back in the second of those, skipper Nathan Valentine curling a free-kick over the wall and into the top corner.

Gate, however, remained calm and compact, comfortably seeing out the rest of the game for a huge three points as they look to climb the table.

Victory saw them move 10 points clear of bottom club Skelmersdale United and within two of Glossop, who are third-bottom.

Gate now have a break from league action, as they travel to Southport on Tuesday in the Lancashire Challenge Trophy before hosting South Liverpool in the FA Vase on Saturday.

Squires Gate: Pennington, Crossley, Mekkaoui-Abouzaid, Chambers, Pett, Fallon, Cliffe, Riley, Campbell, Boyd, Birchall. Subs: Sotona, Jungo, Hughes, Jagne, Soares.