Squires Gate 1 Runcorn Town 6: Match report

The hosts made the brighter start and had plenty of early shots before Runcorn opened the scoring from their first attack after six minutes, when the league’s top scorer Chris Cairns held off Dave Rossall to fire past keeper Ben Fletcher.

Brett Dawson had two chances to equalise, shooting wide from a corner and then after weaving through the defence.

Town doubled their lead on 26 minutes, when winger Kevin Exell evaded Ryan Stayte’s tackle to fire low past Fletcher.

The in-form visitors continued to look dangerous around the Gate box, adding a third five minutes before half-time. Striker Simon Thelwell tapped home with the defence static.

Gate had the first chance of the second half, Ben Seear denied by the keeper’s legs five minutes in, but then Town killed the game with two goals in as many minutes.

Cairns scored both, finding himself unmarked in the box to make it 4-0 on 58 minutes and then completing his hat-trick from a defensive mistake. Cairns has scored 29 in all competitions this season.

Town’s day got even wore when substitute David Forbes tapped in unmarked at the back post with 21 minutes still remaining.

Thankfully for Gate the only other goal came at the opposite end, Seydou Bamba heading in a Ryan Tanser corner in the final minute.

Having slipped to 17th after conceding 10 goals in two games, Gate take a break from league action on Tuesday when Chorley are the visitors in the second round of the Lancashire Challenge Trophy.

MARK ASHMORE

Gate: Fletcher, Stayte, Higham, Alexander, Rossall, Hall, B.Seear, Gibson, Riley, Tanser, Dawson; Subs: Bamba, Carroll, Penswick, Noblet.