Squires Gate vs 1874 Northwich

Recap

1874 UNABLE TO OPEN GATE

By Garry Clarke

SQUIRES GATE 4-1 1874 NORTHWICH           HALLMARK SECURITY LEAGUE PREMIER

13^TH AUGUST 2016

1874 Northwich returned home from the sea side with nothing but a stick of Blackpool Rock to show for their efforts

1874 started brightly with both Stuart Wellstead and Tom Bailey heading narrowly wide in the opening minutes before the home side took the lead in the 8^th minute. The 1874 rearguard failed to clear a cross from the right, the ball fell to Anthony Stayts who smashed his shot into the roof of the net.

Stayts nearly added a second in the 21^st minute but he pulled his shot inches wide of the target after Gate had broken away having cleared an 1874 corner.

1874 ended the first half in the ascendency but could not find a way through a resolute home defence. Defenders threw themselves in the way to block goal bound efforts from Paul Connor, Sam Hind, Danny Thomas and Mark Jones. Gate keeper Ben Fletcher saved well to prevent Wellstead from scoring and Ryan Mitchell guided a corner just wide of the post.

The second half started with a bang.

All too often in the first half passes went astray as 1874’s reconstructed team is still not firing on all cylinders, but good build up play involving several crisp first time passes set Connor free on the right, his cross was met at the far post by Bailey who from close range headed home a 50^th minute equaliser.

Squires Gate restored their advantage two minutes later, when Ric Steear curled a shot just out of the reach of Greg Hall into the far side of the net.

Play became stretched as action switched from end to end.

Bailey’s shot on the turn just cleared the bar; Hall produced a good save to deny Steear, his opposite number saved well to keep out a Wellstead header, while Joe Noblet shot just wide of the target. Scott McGowan fired a free kick over the Gate bar before Seear increased the home side’s advantage hooking a shot on the turn past Hall in the 72^nd minute.

1874 continued to push forward in an attempt to rescue the game. Bailey shot over the bar and Fletcher saved well to keep out a volley from debutant Shelton Payne before Squires Gate wrapped up a well deserved victory in the 90^th minute.

Winning the ball in their own area they broke quickly down the left wing, exploiting the space left at the back, Brett Dawson’s in field pass found Noblet unmarked, he calmly chipped Hall from distance second before the final whistle blew on a day 1874 will wont to forget.

GATE: Fletcher, Richards, B Seear (Higham 80), Hall, Penswick, Carroll, Stayts, Noblet, Seear, Tanser (Dawson 72), Gibson (McKendrick 73). Subs not used Riley, Thornber.

1874: Hall, Connor (Welsh 71), Russell, Mitchell, Thomas, R Bailey (McGowan 63), Wellstead (Payne 61), Jones, T Bailey, Hind, Moran. Subs not used M Woolley, J Woolley.

GOALS – GATE: R Seear 52,78 Stayts 8 Noblet 90      1874: T Bailey 49

ATTENDANCE 185                   REFEREE Michael Sutcliffe