Squires Gate 1 Prestwich Heys 0: Winning end to pre-season

It was the final friendly of what has been a long but ultimately successful pre-season.

Andy Howarth made his debut for Luke Evans’ side with Ryan Dodd, Jamie Ramwell and Alex Kaye all making the starting line-up.

The visitors had all the early running with a few shots fired narrowly off target in the opening stages.

Ryan Riley had Gate’s first sniff of the game on 23 minutes, volleying over after being picked out by Jake Higham.

Josh Pollard was denied by a superb save after a clever cutback from James Boyd.

Dodd was next to go close for Gate, hooking a tricky opportunity over the bar when stretching, before Boyd was off target from distance after a corner had only been half-cleared.

Before the break, a corner almost caused Gate keeper Jordan Gidley some problems but it clipped the bar as the first half ended goalless.

Gate took the lead within four minutes of the restart when Riley’s deflected corner was tapped home by Josh Westwood.

Riley saw an effort well held, while Howarth and half-time substitute Dec Baldwin were off target from outside the box.

The visitors looked for a route back into the game with a free-kick fired straight at Gidley and another chance blazed over.

Gate responded by almost scoring again as Boyd hit the bar with a free-kick and Westwood headed over a corner.

Heys twice came close to a late equaliser, sending one effort from a narrow angle just wide, before Gidley made an excellent double save in added time.

Squires Gate: Gidley, Dodd, Higam, Kaye, Gourley, Westwood, Riley, Pollard, Ramwell, Howarth, Boyd. Substitutes: Smith, Garrett, Staunton-Turner, Baldwin, Ing, Taylor, Orr.