LOCKWOOD HAS LIONS ROARING AS PORT FADE

WHEN Adam Lockwood took charge of Guiseley in September, he inherited a team bottom of the National League without a win to their name.

Lockwood insists there is work still to do but, seven months on, his team are on the verge of safety after this deserved win.

Lockwood’s first victory came against the Sandgrounders and this will go down as one of his most significant, taking Guiseley six points above the relegation zone.

A fine 72nd-minute strike from Kevan Hurst earned Lockwood’s team a fourth win in seven matches – all of which have come by a single goal.

In a scrappy contest, the winning goal represented a rare moment of quality, Hurst volleying home an angled finish after his corner was partially cleared, converting Guiseley’s mounting second-half pressure into maximum points.

“People said I must be mad when I took charge, but I wouldn’t have taken the job if I didn’t think we could do it as a group,” Lockwood said.

“No matter who we play, every win we get is important and this takes us closer to where we want to be.”

For Southport, this was the 24th defeat of a wretched season which, frankly, cannot end soon enough.

Having failed to register a shot on target all game, the Sandgrounders slip back to the foot of the table, ten points adrift of safety with 85 goals conceded, and their seven-year stay in the National League is ending in sorry fashion.

The closest either team came during a first half of few clear chances was when Rory McKeown, the Southport wing-back, crashed a thumping 25-yard drive against the Guiseley crossbar. Guiseley saw more of the play as the half went on, Jordan Preston placing a shot wide after tidily cutting in from the left before later bringing a solid save from goalkeeper Craig King. It was the first in a series of excellent saves from King as Guiseley began to dominate. Jim Stevenson missed a gilt-edged chance for Southport with a free header, but after saves to deny Hurst, Will Hatfield and James Wesolowski, goalkeeper King was finally beaten. “It was a cup final for us today but it had the feel of an end-of-season match,” said Port manager Andy Preece. “It was slow, laboured and it’s the first time I’ve been really disappointed with the players.”