Squires Gate 3 Silsden 4: Hosts edged out in thriller

Manager Andy Clarkson made one change to the Gate side that drew with Hanley Town a fortnight earlier as Ben Reader came into the defence for the unavailable Adam Sumner. Club captain Joe Booth was back on the bench after injury.

Gate could have taken a first-minute lead when a fortunate deflection off a defender enabled Ric Seer to set up Dean Ing but his touch was too heavy.

But Gate were in front 60 seconds later as Dan Gray’s cross to the far post was headed back across goal by Seear for James Boyd to volley home.

The Yorkshire club hit back, forcing Ben Fletcher into a save and Seydou Bamba into a block before they equalised in the ninth minute.

Under-pressure Gate could only clear to the edge of the box, from where the waiting Arley Barnes drove a thunderous strike past Fletcher.

Riccardo Egidi was sent through in a bid to restore Gate’s lead but a superb last-ditch tackle denied the striker after 15 minutes, then Seear saw his point-blank header saved from Ryan Charnley’s free-kick.

But it was the visitors who took the lead just before the half-hour with a goal Gate won’t want to see again.

They found acres of space down Gate’s right side to cross into the six-yard box for the unmarked Niall Sultan to tap in at the back post.

The final 10 minutes of the half brought three more goals as Seear too tapped home at the far post to level the scores.

Silsden were back in front four minutes before the interval, counter-attacking quickly for Chris Wademan to score from a tight angle.

But again Gate hit back, levelling on the stroke of half-time as Sam Staunton-Turner’s teasing pass released Seear, who beat his man and squared to ball to the far post for Egidi to tap home.

The second half was less incident-packed but Seear thought he had given Gate the lead on 67 minutes only to be ruled offside.

Silsden took advantage to score the winner three minutes later, Aiden Kirby reacting quickest when a shot rebounded off a post and heading home.

Booth came off the bench and went close with a late chance but Gate have won only one of four successive home games in the Hallmark Security League premier division. They have dropped out of the top 10, replaced by Silsden.

Gate: Fletcher, Gray, Rossall, Reader, Bamba, Staunton-Turner, Ing, Charnley, Boyd, Egidi, Seear. Subs: Riley, Hargreaves, Clarkson, Burgess, Booth.