Match report: Squires Gate 0 Bootle 5

Squires Gate 0 Bootle 5

Another heavy defeat left Gate back at the bottom of the Hallmark Security League premier division, with just one win from 11 matches.

They had shown improvement in the second half of Saturday’s 4-2 defeat at West Didsbury and Chorlton and Gate hoped to take that into last night’s game against high-flying Bootle at the Brian Addison Stadium.

However, their defensive problems were again highlighted as three goals from headers proved Gate’s downfall.

Defender Tony Rendell scored both first-half goals with his head to give the visitors a comfortable half-time advantage.

His first came in the 24th minute, when Rendell rose highest to score from a corner, though Gate perhaps could have appealed that the scorer climbed on a home defender,

There was no disputing Rendall’s second in the 37th minute, heading home a deep cross to the far post.

Both goals were avoidable as Gate had the chance to clear the danger.

Bootle emerged from the dressing room scenting blood and the lethal Ryan Cox struck to make it 3-0 nine minutes into the second half.

Substitute Eammon Price got in on the act after 70 minutes, scoring the Merseyside club’s third headed goal of the evening.

Gate’s misery was complete two minutes from time, when Connor Millington grabbed the fifth goal.

And it could have got even worse for Gate in stoppage time, when a Bootle effort from outside the box struck a post.

The defeat sees Gate return to the foot of the table on goal difference, while Bootle remain third.

Gate are at home again on Saturday against eighth-placed AFC Liverpool, who lost 3-2 at Barnoldswick Town last night.

Gate: Fletcher, Colquhoun, Carroll, Penswick, Higham, Hall, Thornber, Pett, Ing, Buchan, Williams; Subs: Moorhead, O’Mahoney, Moxon, Cech, Greenall.