Squires Gate 4 1874 Northwich 2: First-half flourish seals first points

Squires Gate earned their first points of the North West Counties League season in emphatic style, scoring four goals in the first 33 minutes.
Kieran Feeney scores on his Squires Gate debut Picture: IAN MOOREKieran Feeney scores on his Squires Gate debut Picture: IAN MOORE
Kieran Feeney scores on his Squires Gate debut Picture: IAN MOORE

Squires Gate earned their first points of the North West Counties League season in emphatic style, scoring four goals in the first 33 minutes.

Having played three of their opening four premier division games away, Luke Evans made four changes for Tuesday's return to Gate's Brian Addision Stadium as Luke Holden, Josh Pollard, Andy Haworth and Jamie Ramwell were replaced by Josh Westwood, Dec Baldwin, Elliot Pond and striker Kieran Feeney, who made his debut for the club after signing on Saturday.

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Gate made the perfect start when a fourth-minute penalty for a foul was dispatched coolly by James Boyd.

The hosts kept the pressure up and striker Dean Ing had two decent chances to double the lead. His effort from distance was comfortably held by the goalkeeper and then a strike from a tight angle went wide.

The pressure was made to count on 17 minutes with a debut goal for Feeney, who found space outside the box and unleashed an unstoppable strike into the bottom corner.

It was all Gate as two became three on 29 minutes. And what a goal it was as Higham, Feeney, Ing and Boyd linked up brilliantly on the left. Ing played the final through-ball for Boyd to fire his second powerfully past the keeper.

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Four minutes later a free-kick found its way to the back post, where the returning Westwood dispatched a bullet header into the back of the net.

Against the run of play, the visitors managed to pull one back right on half-time. A cross from the left was powered into the top corner by Mark Jones, giving previously untested keeper Jordan Gidley no chance.

The second half started quietly, with Gate in control and leading 4-1.

1874 looked for a way back into the game, shooting just wide and then seeing another effort cleared superbly off the line by Westwood, with Gidley claiming the rebound. The Gate keeper was soon in action again, holding on to a strong effort from close range.

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Gidley was unable to deny the visitors a second on 64 minutes, Jake Parker giving him no chance as 1874's pressure paid off.

Gate went agonisingly close to a fifth four minutes later, when what looked a goal-bound header from Ing came back off the inside of the post.

1874 kept pushing and testing Gidley, who made an excellent near-post save from a powerful strike on 75 minutes.

This was to be the last real sight of goal for either side as Gate comfortably held out for an impressive win, which lifts them seven places off the bottom and level with 1874 on three points.

Gate: Gidley,Ridings,Higham,Staunton-Turner, Westwood,Gourley,Feeney, Baldwin, Pond, Ing, Boyd; Subs: Dodd, Taylor, Kaye, Garrett, Ramwell