Litherland REMYCA 0 Squires Gate 3: First league win of season for dominant Gate

Max Rogers scored his first Gate goal in the win at Litherland

Squires Gate 6 Macclesfield FC 4: Record attendance witnesses an FA Cup classic

Luke Evans made three changes to side which won the 10-goal thriller against Macclesfield in the FA Cup, with Josh Westwood and Nathan Bartram both unavailable and Ollie Burgess dropping to the bench.

New signing Cameron Gourley came straight into the side, with Isaac Abankwah returning from injury and Saad Mekkaoui-Abouzaid making his first start for the club.

It was Gate who started on the front foot against the bottom club, and after a couple of half-chances they took the lead after eight minutes through Mekkaoui-Abouzaid.

The midfielder beat his man on the edge of the area and fired a great strike into the top corner.

Gate continued to create, and had a goal from James Boyd ruled out for offside on 19 minutes.

Kieran Feeney then had a great chance, jinking past his man to break through on goal but had his effort well saved. The striker shot wide four minutes later from just inside the area.

Mekkaoui-Abouzaid was involved again, sliding Jacob Ridings in behind the Litherland defence but the wing-back shot just wide.

Dean Ing then volleyed wide after brilliantly taking down a loose ball inside the area, while Feeney headed a difficult chance off -target as it remained 1-0 at half-time.

Gate started the second half in the same dominant fashion, with Ing rattling the post from a tight angle after a shot from Boyd was pushed away by the keeper.

Ridings then fired over from point -blank range after a brilliant ball across goal from Ryan Riley.

The hosts had their best effort of the game on the hour mark against the run of play as a half-volley from distance clipped the top of the bar.

Evans’ men got themselves back in control .though, with Feeney cutting inside and seeing his curling effort tipped over the bar.

The second goal finally came on 73 minutes through Ing, who received the ball from Riley and dispatched it into the bottom corner, giving the goalkeeper no chance.

Substitute Max Rogers, who was looking sharp on his return from a three-match suspension, then built on his midweek hat-trick for the U23’s with Gate’s third goal on 80 minutes.

The winger beat the offside trap and rounded the goalkeeper confidently, tapping into the empty net.

This comfortable win lifts Gate to 13th in the premier division with a week to prepare for the visit of North Shields in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

Gate:Hale, Riley, Riding, Welsh, Gourley, Abankwah, Mekkaoui-Abouzaid, Webster(C) Feeney, Ing, Boy; Subs: Pollard, Iley, Garrett, Burgess, Rogers

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