Burr pays tribute to unsung hero Keith ahead of Eastleigh
SOUTHPORT continued their good run of form with a dominating 4-0 victory against EvoStik side Farsley Celtic in the FA Trophy on Saturday.
It was a good victory for Steve Burr’s side who will now face the winner of the clash between Wealdstone or Wingate and Finchley at the Merseyrail Stadium in the second round.
Burr was pleased with his side’s performance and praised his players for the way they handled expectations going into the game.
“I was delighted. These ties are very tricky. It’s all about attitude and desire.
Ability-wise we knew we should beat Farsley but sometimes you get upsets,” said Burr.
“There was a lot of pressure on us because we were playing a team lower down.
“I’m delighted with how we played though. It was a thoroughly polished and professional performance. “That’s all we could do. “We could have had a few more goals but their keeper did very well. It’s nice to be through to the next round because it was a potential banana skin.
“It’s a competition I’d like us to do well in,” he added.
As well as an encouraging cup victory on Saturday , Southport also played on Monday in the Molson Coors Lancashire Trophy and fielded a young side, with several fringe players and some trialists.
They recorded a 2-1 victory against Accrington Stanley, with James Gray scoring both goals which were assisted by Ruben Jerome.
Southport return to league action on Saturday when they take on Eastleigh in the Vanarama National League and Burr wants to see a similar level of performance from his side.
“Eastleigh will be a really tough game, without a shadow of a doubt,” said Burr.
“Martin Allen has come in and he will want to stamp his authority on the club. The spending powers they have, means they have a good group of players.
“For some reason they are not up there like they should be.
“We will have a right good go at them though.”
Southport’s progression since Burr’s arrival has been very evident but the manager took the time out this week to praise his assistant, Keith Briggs.
“Keith [Briggs] has made a major impact behind the scenes.
“It is important our supporters recognise that.
“His quality on the ground is very evident.
“He has an excellent relationship with the players, is meticulous in his planning and has a real eye for talent.
“He is a great partner for me and together we really believe we can take Southport forward.”
Burr also commented on recent transfer activity;
“We had a lot of games in a short space of time and we lost a lot of players.
“We’re looking to strengthen the squad.” training try and