Freedom for me to roam is great, says Connor
THERE were goals galore at the Pure Stadium on Saturday as Southport beat Longridge Town 9-2 in a hastily-arranged friendly, including a second hattrick in five days for striker George Newell.
Port took the lead inside three minutes as an attempted clearance by Longridge goalkeeper Aiden Hunt ricocheted off the back of Newell’s head and into the net.
The home side then almost added a second less than 60 seconds later as Connor Woods shot from just outside the box after turning away from a defender but his shot was straight at Hunt who parried behind for a corner.
Longridge levelled it in the eighth minute as Harvey MacAdam unleashed a shot outside the box that nestled into the bottom corner.
However, captain David Morgan would restore the hosts’ lead on 17 minutes as the ball fell to him 20 yards out, the skipper lofting a ball over Aiden Hunt who was left stranded in no man’s land.
Longridge went level again in the 21st minute as Troy Carsley latched onto the end of a deep free-kick to poke in at the back post.
But from there the floodgates opened for Southport.
Port went 3-2 up on 31 minutes as Marcus Carver twisted and turned inside the box, his low shot beyond Hunt finding the bottom corner.
Less than 60 seconds later, Newell added another as he received the ball with his back to goal, turning his defender before slotting home a tidy finish into the bottom corner.
Then in the 38th minute, Woods made it five with a superb goal. Cutting inside from the left before firing a strike into the top-right corner.
Woods then almost added another on the stroke of half-time, breaking away on the counter but his shot, which looked destined for the bottom corner, was palmed behind for a goal kick.
It took just seven minutes of the second half for Port to add their sixth goal as a trialist controlled the ball inside the box before finessing the ball into the bottom corner.
Another trialist almost made it seven on 54 minutes as he drove from central midfield post two defenders and into the box but the finish wasn’t quite there as his shot agonisingly rattled the foot of the post.
Less than a minute later it fell to Longridge keeper Hunt to make a tremendous triple save, stopping a trio of Southport trialists from scoring in a goalmouth scramble.
But George Newell would complete his second hat-trick in as many games as he ghosted into the box and fired in a cross at the back post with a sweetly struck volley that almost ripped a hole in the net.
Longridge had a great chance to reduce the deficit in the 63rd minute as a cutback left one attacker with a shot completely unmarked on the Port penalty spot, but the wild strike was high and wide.
A minute later Newell nearly had a fourth, as he once again found himself unmarked at the back post from a free-kick but his volley forced a quick reaction save out of Hunt to send it behind for a corner.
Number eight was added from the penalty spot by Jack Sampson in the 68th minute after a trialist was brought down in the box. Sampson fired it to the keeper’s right, sending Hunt the wrong way.
The hosts nearly added a ninth in the 73rd minute as Jack Doyle crossed the ball into the box with Connor Woods on the end, his volley was blocked and it bounced out to a trialist whose follow-up shot was put narrowly over the bar.
The trialist who scored Southport’s sixth went close to adding a second in the 76th minute as he took the ball on the edge of the box, dribbling beyond a defender before forcing a low save out of Hunt.
Port’s goal glut would be completed in the 77th minute as Jack Sampson laid the ball off to Woods on the edge of the box, with the young attacker finishing calmly into the corner to complete a special afternoon for the Sandgrounders.
PORT host new League Two side Barrow, again behind closed doors, in a friendly this Saturday.
CONNOR Woods says he’s enjoying the freedom he has been given under the new system that Southport have adopted during pre-season,
With manager Liam Watson opting for a shape which includes three central defenders and three attackers, Woods has played across a variety of positions in the games so far often finding himself playing on the right wing or behind the strikers.
“It’s been a good experience,” he said. “I’ve really enjoyed playing in the middle because it’s more of a free role than I’m used to and it allows me to drift about and get the ball to my feet, which I prefer more.
“There’s still a month to go until the season starts, so I think we’re all just getting used to this new system and the positions we’re playing in but the results are starting to pick up and hopefully we can kick on now and get ready for the season.”
Woods enjoyed a stellar performance against Longridge Town on Saturday, getting onto the scoresheet twice – including a superb first goal with the winger cutting in from the left before curling the ball with precision into the top corner – and Woods says he was as surprised as anyone when the ball went in.
“I don’t think I’ve scored many better than that!” he said. “I didn’t expect it to go in to be honest. I just lifted my head up and saw the keeper was off his line and thought I’d have a go. I think I was more surprised than anyone on the pitch.”
That game against Longridge was hastily arranged following the cancellation of the visit of Huddersfield Town as they returned two positive Covid-19 tests.
Port have put in place extensive protocols and Woods says the players will be listening to what they’re told to ensure fans can get back through the door as soon as possible.
“The protocols are quite straightforward, so we need to just make sure we’re listening to what we’re told, making sure we are where we’re supposed to be and wearing masks when we need to be because if we’re doing that then they’re more likely to let the fans in and we can get back to playing in front of them.”
writes James Houghton.