Squires Gate concluded their pre season preparations with a 3-1 win over neighbours Wren Rovers.

Gate visited neighbours Wren Rovers on Saturday afternoon for their last pre season game before kicking off the season against 1874 Northwich away from home. Gate were without five first team regulars due to holidays and work commitments and fielded what on paper would be considered a weaker team.

On the pitch though this wouldn’t be the case. The players who featured were told to use this game as their last chance to impress and stake a claim before the start of the season. Three new faces started for Gate with a further four on the bench.

Gate started the game in a bright fashion and retained a good spell of possession from the kick off. Josh Kay again impressed after doing so earlier in pre season and was the man to open the scoring for Gate. Kay picked up the ball on the right before driving forward and unleashing a daisy cutter which nestled into the bottom corner to give Gate the lead.

It would seem that the home side didn’t learn from their mistakes as just ten minutes later Kay found the ball in the same area again. The same outcome followed but this time Kay struck the ball much sweeter with the ball hitting the top of the net. Gate finished the first half again seeing alot of possession and when loosing the ball, pressing Wrens and not allowing them time on the ball.

The second half started with Gate again playing with a high intensity not letting the home side have time on the ball. Both Mckenna and Penswick had the chance to further Gates lead but neither could find the target. From the resulting corner from Penswick’s effort Gate would further their lead. The ball falling to Ash Rowley on the edge of the box he showed good vision and creativity to jink past his man and fine the back of the net to make it three for Gate.

The home side would pull one back at around the seventy minute mark. The referee indicated hand ball on the edge of the box and from the resulting free kick, Wrens striker Danny Morris rifled the ball past the wall and keeper Ben Fletcher. Andy Speight in goal for Wren Rovers certainly put in a shift in the second half and kept the score line low denying several of Gates players with quality saves. Substitute Clarke had the chance to make it four late on but his volley cannoned of the crossbar.

After the game manager Dave McCann gave his thoughts; " I thought it was a good competitive game that we needed considering our fixture next Saturday. At times it was quite and open game and we could have scored more but overall I was pleased with how the game went."