GATE: Taylor, Chambers (C), Thomas, Lever, Squires, Welsh, Mekkaoui-Abouzaid, Harries, Edokpayi, Ing, Da Silva
SUBS: Zokou, Riley, Schryburt, Forshaw, Boardman

Squires Gate came from three goals behind, scoring five second-half goals, to make it eight league games unbeaten since November.

Braces from Will Squires and Christian Edokpayi alongside a goal from Ryan Riley were enough to defeat the travelling Garstang FC 5-3 at The Skiddle Community Stadium.

The home side made a strong start to the game through Vani Da Silva and Saad Mekkaoui-Abouzaid, who both found joy down the wings but their respective, dangerous crosses into the middle were nullified by the Garstang backline.

However, it was the visitors who broke the deadlock with 22 minutes played, after a series of blocked efforts in the box led to the ball dropping into the path of Liam Clegg, who was first to react to the chance.

Squires Gate almost responded immediately through Edokpayi, who in space down the right, narrowly fired over the visitors’ crossbar.

A curled cross from Mekkaoui-Abouzaid found Dean Ing in the middle, with half an hour played, although the Gate striker was unable to direct his effort on target.

As the first half approached its end, Garstang extended their advantage to 3-0, through a quickfire brace from Ben Turton.

The first came from a set piece which wasn’t cleared by the Gate backline and fell into the path of the onrushing number two.

Four minutes later and it was a case of deja vu, with the goalscoring Turton this time lobbing Josh Taylor from a few yards beyond the halfway line, to end an impressive first 45’ from the visitors.

As the floodlights came on for the second half, the spotlight turned to Gate as they began to find more joy up against the Garstang backline.

Luke Evans’ side responded well after the break, as Will Squires found himself in an attacking position in the box, although his right footed strike fizzed over the bar.

The visiting Reds continued to be a nuisance on the counter-attack, as Weslie Bajraliu found himself bearing down on goal but Taylor proved to be an equal match, as he rushed out to smother the effort behind for a corner.

The Blues pulled one back 12 minutes into the second half as centre-back Will Squires turned goalscorer, getting on the end of a Dean Ing flicked header, before dispatching clinically from close range.

The pendulum swung in Gate’s favour as Will Squires secured his second goal of the game, flicking home from a Da Silva corner to reduce the deficit to just one goal.

Two minutes later and the game was levelled at three apiece through a spectacular Edokpayi bouncing half volley, which flew past the outstretched Joe Lawton and into the top left corner.

The second half turnround was complete on the 70th minute mark, as the number nine then turned in from close range to score Squires Gate’s fourth goal in 25 minutes.

Substitute Ryan Riley made it five as his looping cross flew over the heads of the Gate players as well as the Garstang goalkeeper, nestling into the net to spark wild celebrations under the lights at the Skiddle Community Stadium.

Ing almost made it six as the game drew to a close, cutting in from the left before placing the ball just wide of the bottom right corner.

Evans’ side will look to extend their unbeaten run in the First Division North to nine games on Wednesday night, as they travel to Nelson for a 7:45pm kick off.