Match report: Squires Gate 0 Runcorn Linnets 5

Squires Gate 0

Runcorn Linnets 5

Gate couldn’t build on their first league points of the season at Darwen as they were heavily beaten by the second-placed Linnets in the Hallmark Security League premier division.

Gate gave a debut to Nick Webb in goal after Ben Fletcher was injured in Monday’s Lancashire Challenge Trophy defeat by Radcliffe.

Webb was called into action after only two minutes, pushing away a testing shot, and conceded after five as bottom club Gate failed to clear a corner and Stuart Wellstead turned to fire home.

The visitors were denied a second by a late offside flag on 23 minutes and Gate’s best chance of the half came on 33, when Gary Pett fired over after Jack Williams won possession on the edge of the Linnets box.

The second goal came four minutes before the break, Paul Shanley taking advanatage after Gate again failed to clear.

Runcorn extended their lead on 49 minutes, when midfielder Michael Simpson was allowed too much time and space to score unchallenged.

Gate’s Dean Ing and Tarren Moxon made an impact on their return after injury but Linnets struck again on 61 minutes, when Mark Houghton’s shot from distance sneaked past Webb.

Adam Jones’ back-post volley completed the scoring on 75 minutes. It could have been worse for Gate, who host Padiham tomorrow, had not Danny Penswick cleared off the line and another Linnets shot cannoned off the post.

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