Lewer is ready to strike out in transfer market
BA FIRST win in five attempts this pre-season was the reward for Southport’s persistence as they finally converted their chances into a result against lower league opposition.
Having failed to find the target in a match they controlled at Marine on Saturday afternoon, this friendly against Burscough on Tuesday evening looked to be following a similarly frustrating pattern until Brad Jackson earned victory for Alan Lewer’s team midway through the second half.
The Sandgrounders had to work for the win against their neighbours from the Hallmark Security League Premier Division, and having highlighted the need for his team to be more clinical after their last match, manager Lewer will no doubt reflect that the winning margin should have been greater.
Overall, Southport appear to be a solid unit and they will hope to be able to add greater craft to their attacking play after again enjoying plenty of possession. It had taken Southport until midway through the opening period to settle into the game but as the half went on, the home team began to see a greater share of the ball.
At first, clear chances were not easy to come by, the best opportunity from open play in the first half coming when substitute striker Rowan Roache neatly cut the ball back to Steven Schumacher, whose first-time shot brought a low save from Linnets goalkeeper Louis McCarthy.
Having enjoyed a career in the EFL spanning 12 years until the end of last season, Schumacher will bring quality to the Southport midfield and here he showed glimpses of what he can offer.
Defender Curtis Jones twice went close with headers from successive corners, being denied first at the far post by the reflexes of McCarthy before defender Derek Szanto smuggled a goalbound effort off the goalline.
Burscough had been the first to threaten, goalkeeper Iain Turner saving from Will Thernald before Ross Lloyd sent a shot over the crossbar.
But Lewer has regularly stated that he is pleased with the shape displayed by his Southport players and a third straight clean sheet was rarely in doubt.
Instead, the question was whether the Sandgrounders would convert their increasing dominance into a lead.
Adam Dugdale blazed the ball over after a rehearsed free-kick routine and Ethan Jones was denied at point-blank range by the legs of goalkeeper McCarthy, who also stopped Roache when the striker should have scored after setting himself with time and space inside the Burscough area.
When the breakthrough did arrive, it came through an unlikely route, Jackson, the right wing-back, prodding home the loose ball after an initial effort from Ethan Jones had been blocked.
Southport continued to press, Roache sending in a good long-range effort which was saved by the increasingly busy McCarthy, and with the new campaign just over a week away, Port’s first pre-season win was quite timely indeed.