Yellows dismiss Davies

SOUTHPORT have parted company with manager Kevin Davies after the Sandgrounders closed their Conference North season by losing eight of their final nine games.

Davies (pictured) joined the club in October of last year but won just nine games in total. Southport brought the curtain down with a 2-1 loss at Spennymoor Town last Saturday.

The former Bolton and England forward was present as the club’s U21 side lifted the Premier League Cup on Sunday evening, but he was dismissed less than 24 hours later.

In a statement released following the sacking, board member Phil Hodgkinson said: “On behalf of the board I would like to thank Kevin for his effort and hard work over the last 31 games since he took charge.

Kevin has put his heart and soul into the job and an unbelievable amount of time effort and commitment day in, day out, his work-rate and desire is to be admired, and nobody can question his endeavour.

“Kevin joined the club at a very difficult time, inheriting a disjointed squad on a run of heavy defeats, and a dressing room which was far from together.

“Undertaking a mid-season overhaul of that squad was a difficult task, however, following a long run of games without a win, and with the addition of First Team Coach Jon McCarthy, results started to improve at the turn of the year, with the club briefly flirting with the play-offs.”

Despite winning five on the spin during February and flirting with the play-off places, the dismal end to the campaign resulted in Southport finishing just four points above the relegation zone.

They will now be searching for their 12th manager in five years.