Players care about this club - we’ll bounce back
SOUTHPORT’S hopes of a late push for the play-offs were dashed after two defeats in the space of four days.
The Sandgrounders were chasing six consecutive home victories when Alfreton visited last weekend, but a 3-1 defeat at Haig Avenue was followed by a dispiriting 3-2 loss away at York on Tuesday evening.
Jason Gilchrist and Elliot Osbourne scored twice in the dying stages midweek to pull the game level with minutes remaining, but James Gray’s injury time winner all but ended Southport’s hopes of making a swift return to the Conference next season.
“It’s disappointing, we got ourselves back in the game at 2-2 and had the momentum and I could only see one team going for the win with a few minutes remaining,” manager Kevin Davies said. “But we’ve conceded another poor goal and everyone is disappointed.
“We really took the game to them. They’re up in there in the play-offs so it’s hard to be critical of the players because they’ve fought to get back into the game and show all the characteristics but I think the players were a little naive.”
Two of York’s goals came from corners, and the former Bolton and England forward reckons there will be discussions about their set-piece preparations in the coming weeks.
“I’m not happy with players getting free headers in the sixyard box,” Davies admitted. “There was a bit of confusion about who was marking who so we need to make sure we’re doing our own jobs and people are doing other jobs. It’s something we need to sort out.”
“It happened on Saturday too. That’s something we’ll be going away and working on as a team really.”
Despite consecutive defeats, Davies says that the players “care” too much to let the blip affect them too much.
“We’ll come in and do the right things. This game has gone. We can’t do anything about that. We reflect as players, manager and staff but they’re a good bunch.
“They care as players about themselves and the club. I think you see that in the way they’re playing. They could have easily rolled over today like they were when I first came in but they never.
“We’ll come in, we’ll be fresh, we’ll look at the analysis and look at how we’re going to win at Darlington and Salford next up. It’s as simple as that really.”