Southport hit for six
A SUPERB County hammered ten man Southport 6-0 last Tuesday, to earn The Hatters their biggest win in ten years.
A first half brace by Matty Warburton was added to by goals from captain Harry Winter and top goalscorer Jason Oswell as Jim Gannon’s men romped to a 4-0 half-time lead at Edgeley Park, before second half strikes by Jimmy Ball and Oswell sealed a remarkable rout.
Gannon adopted a 4-4-2 formation for the first time this campaign against Alan Lewer’s side, utilising Winter and Ball in a diamond in the centre of midfield – and County reaped the rewards just 90 seconds into proceedings.
Warburton began a flowing move on the halfway line, linking up with fellow attackers Oswell and Darren Stephenson before Warburton himself raced into the area and finished off Oswell’s pinpoint return ball.
Sorry Southport, who had begun the night in third place in the National League North table, were down to ten when defender Adam Dugdale hauled down Oswell who was through on goal after 20 minutes.
Warburton coolly converted the spot kick, before Winter powerfully rifled home a Sam Walker cross to put The Hatters 3-0 up on the half hour.
Oswell planted his eighth of the season past former County ‘keeper Mark Halstead to make it 4-0 before the break, and Ball bundled in his first of the season as the second half continued in the same vein.
County’s in-form number nine headed past Halstead just before the hour mark for the hosts’ sixth of the evening, and substitute Tom Walker spurned two late chances as County moved into the play-off places on the night.
Midfielder Warburton admitted afterwards that the performance was “long overdue” for his new club.
“I think this kind of performance and result has been on the cards. I think I owed a performance like that personally, and the things we worked on in training all came together,” said the ex Curzon Ashton man.”
“I know we have that in us, and my frustration has been at times that we don’t grab the game by the scruff of the neck; and we’ve done that here.”