Cleator Moor Celtic 1 Squires Gate 3: Cup victory on the road

Theo Ball’s goal and a brace from James Boyd secured the win for a Gate team who had made the long trip up the motorway.

Manager Luke Evans made two changes from the team beaten by Wythenshawe last week, Dan Gray and Ryan Riley replacing Harrison Webster and Prince Yelegon.

It was the hosts who made the perfect start though, going ahead inside five minutes through Thomas Short’s header into the top corner.

Sean Aluebhosele almost bundled Gate level three minutes later but, at the other end, keeper Nathan Pennington was quickly off his line to deny the hosts after they got behind the defence.

Gate levelled things up on 23 minutes as Chris Webster drove forward before pulling the ball back to Boyd, who shifted it onto his left foot and found the bottom corner.

Aluebhosele went agonisingly close five minutes later, rattling the crossbar after a lovely threaded through ball from Riley.

Nevertheless, Evans’ men did take the lead on 39 minutes as Cleator Moor could not clear Riley’s corner and Boyd rifled home the loose ball to make it 2-1 at the break.

The second half started in much quieter fashion before a vital interception denied Gate substitute Ball a tap-in.

Five minutes later, however, the heavens opened with thunder, lightning, hail and torrential rain forcing the referee to order both sets of players inside.

Once the players returned, so did the hail and thunder, but Gate still managed to go 3-1 ahead in fortuitous fashion.

Riley found Ball, whose seemingly harmless effort was taken by the wind before bouncing over the unfortunate Cleator Moor goalkeeper.

Conditions saw both teams sent back inside for a second time with a little more than 15 minutes left, after which the weather cleared up and play recommenced.

Gate wound down the clock professionally, though there was still time for Chris Webster to rattle the bar with a fine strike.

Squires Gate: Pennington, Hughes, Gray, Chambers, Bartram, Welsh, Riley, Webster, Aluebhosele, Cliffe, Boyd. Subs: Shields, Kay, Mekkaoui-Abouzaid, Yelegon, Ball.