I’ve kicked on and it’s thanks to the gaffer says Nolan

LIAM Nolan has credited the influence of manager Steve Burr with bringing more goals to his game. Nolan scored twice - including a dramatic 88th-minute winner - as the Sandgrounders came from behind to claim an eventful win against Wrexham on New Year’s Day.

The goals took Nolan’s tally for the campaign to five, and the 22-year-old midfielder has thrived in a more advanced role since the arrival of Burr in September.

Nolan has been a key player in Southport’s turnaround in fortunes, and his excellent recent form was underlined by a delightful winning goal, finding the net with an arrowing strike from outside the area after a cross from Ryan McKeown had been touched down by Andrei Jones.

It secured a significant win for Southport, lifting them back out of the Vanarama National League relegation zone after defeat at Wrexham earlier in the festive period.

“It was a great ball in from Ryan and a good knockdown from Andrei,” Nolan said.

“Since the manager arrived, he’s been on at me to push forward and get in and around the box. I hit it sweetly and as soon it left my boot I thought there was a good chance that the ball was heading in.

“There were still a few minutes to go at that stage and it was backs to the wall stuff. Wrexham changed formation and they made it a lot harder for us in the second half.

The game was getting scrappy and we were struggling to get up the pitch at times but we dug it out in the end and it’s a massive win for us.

“I felt we