Squires Gate 2 Ashton Athletic 1: Double for recalled Cliffe

Boss Luke Evans made two changes for Wednesday's NW Counties premier division match at the Brian Addison Stadium as Cliffe and Saad Mekkaoui-Abouzaid replaced Dan Gray and Ryan Riley.

Cliffe repaid the manager in the first minute by latching on to James Boyd's threaded pass and finding the bottom corner of the net.

It should have been 2-0 six minutes later but Mekkaoui-Abouzaid shot just wide after a fine passing move.

The winless visitors had chances but a vital block by Nathan Bartram and a flying save by keeper Nathan Pennington ensured it remained 1-0 until half-time.

Gate started the second half strongly as Gal Pett's header from a corner was saved and James Hughes' cross-shot clipped the bar.

They deserved their second goal on 56 minutes, when a throw by the quick-thinking Pett sent Cliffe through on goal to finish clinically.

Pett went close to a third within a minute but couldn't find the target with his header. Ashton pulled one back on 65 minutes, when a corner was half-cleared and Sam Houghton’s shot from outside the area was deflected into the bottom corner.

Cliffe had a difficult hat-trick chance, poking wide from Hughes' defence-splitting pass as Gate saw the game out comfortably.

The win lifts Gate to 12th ahead of Sunday's trip to sixth-placed Northwich Vics.

GATE: Pennington, Hughes, H. Webster, Chambers, Bartram, Westwood (c), M-Abouzaid, Webster, Pett, Cliffe, Boyd; Subs: Kay, Yelegon, Riley, Gray, Ball