Match report: Ashton Athletic 0 Squires Gate 1

Ashton Athletic 0 Squires Gate 1Gate bounced back from their first Hallmark Security League defeat of the season as Dean Ing scored the only goal at Ashton. It was a scrappy game at Brocstedes Park but the points lifted Andy Clarkson’s side to fourth in the premier division and got Saturday’s loss to Congleton out of their system. Gate’s first chance of the game came after seven minutes, when Ing looked to put Brett Dawson in on goal but the home keeper was quick off his line to collect the ball. Ben Reader was tackled after 12 minutes allowing Ashton to break but striker Cover fired over. Gate thought they’d opened the scoring after 28 minutes but Ric Seear was flagged offside when Ryan Riley’s shot was deflected into his path. The all-important goal arrived 10 minutes later, when Ashton failed on several occasions to clear their lines and the ball fell to Ing, who kept his composure and fired past the keeper. Gate had an early chance to double their lead in the second half. A long ball saw Seear go through as a defender slipped but he chipped over the bar.Ashton resorted to shots from outside the box, which didn’t test Gate, and the visitors went close when Gary Pett flicked on a goal-kick but again the assistant’s flag thwarted Seear.Ing almost wrapped up the win two minutes from time but couldn’t quite connect with Joey Mullen’s teasing ball across the six-yard box. Ashton almost made them pay with a rare chance at the opposite end but couldn’t turn the ball in.Gate return to FA Cup action on Saturday with a preliminary round tie at Droylsden.Gate: Fletcher, Reader, Rossall, Sumner, Gray, Ing, Booth, Riley, Pett, Seear, Dawson; subs: Richards, Kay, Mullen, Charnley, Salthouse.